Shuffle! Hope
by Joe JS Smitty
Summary: What has happened to Project Yggdrasil? How could it even be possible? The events leading up to its desctruction, and the violent crank that starts everything...CHAPTER 17 UP! HOORAY!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I, Joe "JS Smitty" Smith, wish to make clear that the anime/bishoujo game Shuffle! is owned by outside companies and claim no ownership of the characters herein.

SPOILER: To start, I would like to make a quick note about the series Shuffle! and the ending. First of all, was the imminent pairing of Tsuchimi Ren and Shigure Asa. Looking at it from a broad aspect, it was an abnormal choice on the part of the protagonist. Usually the character, in that situation, falls in love with either the childhood friend or someone from his childhood. For this, I commend the writers and producers of the show. She was not my first choice, but I am not Tsuchimi Rin. I do not want to spoil my fanfiction to the point of "oh so THIS is what's going to happen", I am still in the process of constructing and piecing together the rest of the story, but I implore you to enjoy my story nonetheless.

Also, for the sake of keeping characters IN character and addressing one another with proper respects, I will be using Japanese suffixes like –san, -sama, -chan, etc,. I will steer clear from other "Japanesey" terms that some authors use to try and look sophisticated (no offense to those who use it :p ).

Note: Until I figure out how to work with this infernal contraption called all scene changes will be noted by the actual words SCENE CHANGE

_**Shuffle! Hope**_

The June days were coming to an end, the summer heat was beginning to build around the country. Summer break was just around the corner, all the students could feel the tenseness in the air. Most students had a aura of satisfaction around them, final exams wouldn't prove too difficult to them and those it didn't come too that easy only worried about a few select courses. Then, of course, there were the ones who had a lot to worry about….

"Uhnnn…" Mayumi Thyme groaned as she slumped through the school doors, walking up to her locker.

"Good morning Mayumi-chan," Kaede Fuyou greeted her, the smile that everyone was accustomed to spread across her face. Following closely behind was her live-in friend Primula, and her two neighbors Lisianthus, or Sia for short, from the Realm of Gods and Nerine from the Realm of Demons.

"Good morning Mayumi-chan," Nerine and Sia said in unison, Primula repeating seconds later in her slightly-less-monotone voice.

"Sia…" Mayumi moaned, reaching out to her mahogany-haired friend, and placing both of her hands on her shoulders. "I don't think I can make it this year…" Sia smiled nervously, beads of sweat running down her head. Her face perked up as she grabbed Mayumi by the shoulders and forced a reassuring smile.

"I-It's ok Mayumi-chan! There's still two weeks left before finals, you can do it with hard work!" She said, trying her best to comfort her. It didn't seem to work, as Mayumi raised her head, tears streaming from her eyes.

"Sia-chan…" she spoke solemnly, "You'll keep me company over summer break won't you." Implying Sia's future academic downfall. Upon realizing this, Sia yelped, her hair standing on end. She swayed slightly, Mayumi's arms keeping her steady, until finally she gave up and her spirit slowly began to rise out of her body.

"Sia-san!" Nerine yelled, shaking her. Kaede quickly joined in, trying desperately to comfort the sobbing Mayumi. Through all the crying and shouting this morning was…not much unlike any other this time of year. Mayumi shrill cries of desperation at her situation, Sia's subtle other-worldly moaning, and Nerine and Kaede shouts to bring both back to reality, or life. Primula had a faint smile across her lips as she walked past the girls to her locker, slipping on her school shoes. Usually around this time, Midoriba Itsuki would pop in and say something that would require a beating, usually at the hands of Mayumi, but as it appeared today he was early…or late. Primula tapped her foot on the ground and looked towards the girls just in time to see Sia's spirit entering her body. And off in the distance…

She walked up to Kaede and tugged at her arm. Through the panic she was able to look towards the school ground entrance to the figure walking towards them, he was recognizable no matter how far away he was to her. Had this been two weeks ago this would be an enjoyable moment, no matter how common it was during the school year. But for two weeks it was painful to even look at him. Not being in the same class as him caused confusion for Kaede. Her natural instinct to love him wanted her to be near him all the time, but as of recently he would have none of that. She forced a smile and got between the other girls and the gate outside, pushing the girls inside as hard and fast as she could. Mayumi's streams of tears flowed like waterfalls as she stumbled up the stairs, Sia's shell of body following, with Nerine and Primula helping her up the stairs. Kaede smiled and waved them off, she was in Nerine and Mayumi's class so she would be with them all day, and she would see Primula and Sia during lunch and after school. But she hesitated changing shoes. She's done it every day for the past week now, always trying to force the courage to greet him when he walked through the doors. Slowly she slipped on her first shoe, as her eyes peeked around her shoulder. He walked in, a cloud of despair following him.

Today would be the day, she had taken care of him for eight years and despite all they've been through last year she still wanted to take care of him. She wanted to be there for him, she wanted to hold him in her arms until his hurt went away. She knew she let her emotions get carried away before but seeing him act like this was tearing her apart. It was simple, just turn around and say hi, she told herself. Ask how he was doing, how work was. It was obvious to anyone who didn't know him personally that he was troubled…deeply. Just turn around, she told herself. He's only a foot behind you….

'I can't…' her fear betrayed her again, holding back the tears. She looked over her other shoulder as he walked away, looking more miserable than ever.

Tsuchimi Rin…the shell of the man who was, his heart shattered into pieces.

**-------------------**

Unfortunately, the group that had made school history was no longer as one. They were not spread to the four corners of the school, like some, but between the six of them, Mayumi, Nerine, and Kaede were in one class, Sia, Itsuki, and Rin were in another. Her father, Maoh, knew the extent of how desperate Nerine wanted to live life as a normal teenager to become more sociable and a better wife for Rin. Sia, too, implied upon her father, Shin, almost the same thing as Nerine did to her father, but to no avail Shin stepped in, demanding that Sia be placed in the same class as her future husband. It is still unknown where Sia got the armchair to imply on Shin's forehead that she did not want that kind of extra burden, but threat of war changed the school's faculty otherwise. Kaede, Rin, and the secondary characters who serve not much more than comic relief were, like Nerine, picked by the faculty.

The school year started off much like any other, this small group whom the talk of school was for many months last year, had a difficult time saying goodbye to most of the people in their last class. Granted it wasn't a forever goodbye, but for their last year it was hard for them to part with each other just the same. Shigure Asa and Kareha, both being seniors, graduated at the end of March, and through many tears set out for their life in college. Kareha, in a matter of speaking, dropped out of sight since her college life started, her only true source of contact being Asa, who relayed the information to Rin. Asa and Rin, being in love, maintained contact and considering the distance from Rin's apartment and Asa's apartment, met with each other as often as the distance and time would allow them…at least for a while.

Rin stared blankly into the book in front of him. He could hear his teacher talking, but about what he didn't even try to distinguish. He ended up in a different class than Nadeshiko Benibara, a new teacher to Verbena High School. A foreigner, with long white hair and insanely thick glasses. He was lank, and towered over all the students when faced-to-faced with one. His appearance was…to say the least, quite odd for a teacher. For starters, it was uncommon for a foreigner to teach a subject other than English, and even that was rare. Yet a man, who looked to be in his early twenties, claiming to be from America, was speaking near-perfect Japanese and instructing classes through science and chemistry. His hair was, for a man, completely unbecoming of a teacher. Allowing it to be grown long, to mid-back height, and bleached a pale white, it was amazing that he even applied to be a high school teacher, much less be accepted. His personality wasn't much different than Nadeshiko's, Rin had noted earlier in the school year, very strict and straight-forward with a low tolerance to delinquent acts, although the punishment he used was, as a lot of the students put it, almost stereotypical. But the most oddest and queer thing about him was his glasses. They appeared to be, from the front of the class, at least two and a half inches thick. The lens themselves were pressed firmly against his eye it appeared, the eye socket at its shallowest. For some time it was believed that the frame was nothing more than mere showmanship, until he actually removed his glasses one day during class. The shocked noises of the entire class ended with everyone getting a ten-page report on the fundamentals of chemistry, and some good laughs.

Rin continued to stare deeply into his book. It wasn't interesting in the least; it just made it look like he was actually participating. He had given up on most things, school, friends, health…he was just a empty shell, who walked, and on occasion spoke. Work kept him from moving back in with Kaede and Primula, and life…life at the point was just a passing fancy. The more he tried to think about it the more it hurt him. It was better for him to just exist, living was just too painful. He would go to work, go to school, get back home, eat and sleep and have the entire cycle repeat itself. He didn't need to try hard to get passing grades, nothing close to what he was capable of, but passing nonetheless.

Anthony-sensei's lecture was just a mumble of incomprehensible words to Rin, he just did not care anymore. This is how he would live, no interruptions for the rest of his life, just living. He continued to stare into his book, lost in darkness and asleep to the world.

A sharp snort woke him up. He jumped in his seat to the ear-piercing grunt behind him, grabbing the attention of several students around him, not including the teacher, thank goodness. He looked behind him to the demon spread contently over his desk, a stream of drool running down his cheek from his big, goofy grin. The students around Rin slowly turned their attention back to the front of the class, Anthony-sensei almost completely lost in his lecture, very passionate about his own scientific theories. Rin stared grimly at the demon behind him.

Rin didn't remember much about this kid. He transferred into this school about a week ago, much to the dismay of Itsuki. His name escaped Rin, not that he would have cared at this time. The demon mumbled and his mouth twisted, still contorted into a wide grin but adjusting at different shapes. Rin blinked, uncaring, and also faced the front of the class, still looking like a fresh zombie. But in the midst of all this, a small thought passed through Rin's mind.

"_That doesn't sound like a bad idea…"_ he thought to himself as his eyes slowly began to close.

Sia watched with a worried expression from the other end of the room. Rin was in the row next to the door, Sia being a couple seats behind him a row away from the window. Even after all that happened, through thick and thin, Sia had loved Rin. She loved him no less than when she first met him, and it would be ages before she would love him less. She was, in so few a words, content with loving him without having the feelings returned. But where she used to be able to love him, and be with him, it was excruciating to love him from afar. Asa-sempai broke his heart, some way, some how. After all he'd done for her, through all the good times she had with him and everyone else, she broke his heart. And Sia, either of them, deep down would never forgive her. She watched, painfully, as Rin's eyes slowly shut tight, and became dead to the world

**-----------------**

Rin began to dream. It had been a while since he'd dream before. Unfortunately, his dreams weren't pleasant. This would prove to be no different.

He was on a cliff, overlooking the entire city. In the distance he could see his school, Kaede's house, even his soon-to-be apartment. He was talking, although the words were undistinguishable. He could almost feel the wind as it blew through his hair, causing it to sway. He looked over to his right, and there she was.

What made her so special? More special than any of the other girls in his life? She just was. It was a matter of opinion if she was more beautiful than the other girls, or had a more pleasurable personality. But to Rin she was everything to him.

Shigure Asa. Just the sight of her in his dreams wanted to make him cry. He remembered everything about her, her beautiful green hair, her slender figure, and her mouth that he loved to kiss….

She was listening solemnly to Rin, the Rin that was in his dreams. Immediately he knew what this was, where he was, when he was. This was the day he confessed his love to her.

"_But I didn't know what happened between you two and I really wanted to know" Asa said to Rin as she leaned back on the railing overlooking the city. She looked at Rin. "I'm so sorry."_

"_It's ok," Rin replied. He began to walk towards her, closer towards the railing of the city. "I wanted you to know too."_

"_You did?" She asked. "Why?"_

"_Well," Rin said, contemplating his answer, "I think it's for the same reason you wanted to hear it." Upon hearing this, Asa's face quickly became red, her eyes widening as she stared at Rin. _

"_Oh, your face is turning red," he noted, poking fun at her._

"_It's nothing," she quickly replied, turning away from him. "Anyway," she said, trying to change the subject, "why did you come to my house and ask me to go for a walk? Did you need to talk to me?"_

"_Yes…" Rin answered, "I told Kaede about you." Referring to the occurrences that had happened earlier that day, ones that the Rin that watched this scene remembered all too well. "I haven't told her directly before. And it's not just her…I've never told you either." Rin spoke with astute confidence, as he gazed upon Asa's face, which had become even redder than before. Rin remembered that day, had his heart not been beating so hard, he would have sworn that he had heard Asa's. He walked up to her, standing no more than a foot away from her. "Asa-sempai…. As a man, I swear, more than anybody else, I love you."_

_Rin and Asa stared at each other for, to Rin, which seemed like eternity. Finally, Rin spoke, not asking, but saying, "Please go out with me."_

_Asa looked down to the ground, then away to the side. Rin felt his heart skip a beat, after all this was he going to be turned down?_

"_Asa-sempai?"_

_She turned around, looking over the city, and spoke, "About your story earlier…how Kaede hated you and you suffered so much…wasn't it hard?"_

_Rin smiled, and looked out towards the city as well, "I'd be lying if I said no. But I only wanted to protect Kaede."_

"_No matter how bad she treated you?" Asa asked._

"_The only good thing about me is that I'm tolerant," he replied, half-joking._

"_You're strong," Asa said._

"_That's not true."_

_Asa disagreed, "You are, just as much as her."_

"_As her?" Rin asked with slight confusion._

"_She sacrificed herself. She endured being treated to and spoken to harshly, and yet she kept protecting her only child." Rin gasped, he remembered Asa speaking earlier about this to him, how when she was younger she had treated her own mother badly, because Asa was so sick most of the time. She turned to him, getting closer, "So, are you going to protect me?" She looked at him, the sun shining brilliantly in her eyes, "Just like the person who I admire the most in this world?"_

_Rin turned to face her, and spoke with extreme confidence, "I will, no matter what."_

_Asa smile was so bright, so beautiful, it overshadowed the redness of her cheeks, "You were cool just now. It made me feel a little fuzzy inside." She stared longingly into his eyes, "So, this is the answer to your question," she said, as her hand reached up to touch his face, and she leaned ever closer in, closing her eyes. Rin closed his eyes too, heart pounding, as this was something he longed awaited…._

Nothing came. Rin opened his eyes, he was enveloped in darkness. He looked around, Asa was gone, the city was gone, the beautiful cliff was gone.

"Asa?" he called out. There was no reply, he knew there wouldn't be a reply. He stood in darkness, he'd been in darkness the past two weeks, he was used to it. At least he thought he was.

"Asa-san?! Why?! Why?!" He heard his own voice call out from the darkness.

"Rin-san…please don't make this any harder than what it is…" Asa's voice. This was similar to two weeks ago, no, this exactly was two weeks ago. Rin muttered something, desperately holding back the tears in his eyes.

"I don't understand…! Asa-san I don't understand!" His voice echoed through the darkness again. Rin clung to his ears, desperately trying to block out his and Asa's voices around him. He crouched down, his hands still wrapped around his ears. Not that it mattered, he still heard every word clearly.

"I have to go Rin…. Please…please take…" Asa cut herself off. Was it painful to her to finish that or did she think it would be too painful to him, Rin couldn't tell. He just wanted an answer, but he didn't deserve that much. He couldn't contain his tears anymore.

"Asa-san!" His voice screamed out, "Asa-san!!!" His own voice echoed around him, and in his mind. The tears began to slowly come out, creating a thin waterfall running down his cheeks.

"Asa-san…" he barely whispered, "Why…?" He began to tremble, "Why…?"

He sat in darkness for eternity. He was tired of this pain, he was tired of living, he wanted it all to end.

For minutes all he could hear was his own painful, subdued cries. In complete silence, it was deafening.

"Rin-chan…" a gentle voice called out to him. He barely heard it, but was too absorbed in his own self-pity. It called out again, "Rin-chan…"

Rin raised his head, the tears having yet to stop, "Wh-wha…?"

In the darkness, a hand reached out from behind him, gently touching his hair. The salty water running down his face immediately stopped, his eyes widening to this comforting sensation on his face.

"Rin-chan…" the harmonious voice called out again, as the hand slowly moved from his hair, around his ear and to his cheek. The voice was so familiar…so comforting…Rin felt his heart slowly come back to life, as he let his head fall gently into the hand that caressed his face.

"It's ok Rin-chan," the voice told him, he felt a slight breath upon his ear lobe, as it continued to reassure him that, it was indeed, ok. For a moment, a passing moment, he believed this voice…

**---------------------**

"Rin-chan…!" The voice rang out throughout the classroom. The eyes of everyone, not including the teacher, were focused on the spectacle spread out before them. Rin, in a daze, had been subjugated to the slumber assault of the new transfer student. "Rin-chan…!" He called out again, as he pulled Rin closer to him as he whispered in his ear. "It's ok Rin, it's ok, just relax. This is just natural human bonding." The new student, a huge grin on his face but his eyes still closed, lost in dreamland, pulled Rin in and blew into his ear.

The entire classroom gasped at this, the teacher's chalk making unrecognizable noises and drawings as it was slowly and forcibly pushed against the blackboard. The students reactions were mixed, most of the guys in the class had huge beads of sweat running down their face and head, whilst most of the girls had a faint blush around their cheeks as Rin was being molested by this new student, who was also whispering dirty things, loudly, into his ear.

Rin's eyes slowly opened, blinking several times. He knew he had probably whimpered loudly, or said Asa's name loud enough for others to here, but…why could he still feel the hand on his….

"What are you doing?!" He yelled, nearly jumping out of his seat. The new guy didn't wake up, instead getting closer to Rin.

"Eh eh Rin-chan, don't be like that," he wrapped his other arm around him, locking his arms around his necks. And much to Rin's dismay, he had a deathlock grip. The new students face was still froze in a big grin, as he rubbed Rin's hair and cheek.

"Let go of me!" Rin yelled, trying desperately in vain to unlock his arms around his neck.

"You're so shy Rin-chan," the new student said loudly, and with a big smile, "Ahhn…" bit down gently on Rin's earlobe.

"EYEAAH!" was the general reaction from the whole classroom. Men looked on in disgust, women squealed, all's faces were red as the sun. Sia in the back had lost it, steam rising from her collapsed body from watching this.

Rin felt the teeth and the lips, and he felt his entire back tremble. His face red as well, turned around and slammed his palm into the guy's face and pushed as hard as he could. Aside from the grunting from Rin and the demon, two different kinds, the only noise distinguishable was the screech of the chalk being dragged along the chalkboard.

The demon kid's eye, his left one considering his right one was scrunched up with the rest of his face, slowly opened, blinking a couple times, then turned his head to face who he thought was Rin-chan.

"You're not Rin!" He yelled, embarrassed beyond reason.

"Yes I am!" Rin yelled back equally embarrassed.

"ENOUGH!" came a loud, commanding voice from the front of the class. The two's epic struggle halted for a second, for a black flash with a whitish tint appeared before both of their eyes. Rin noticed a puff of smoke…? No, chalk dust he surmised, as he looked back to his assaulter to see an eraser embedded firmly in the center of his face. The following event, to Rin at least, seemed overly dramatic as he flew off Rin's body, almost hovering in the air for a split second before crashing to the ground in a mess of limbs and desk pieces. Silence hung over the entire classroom as half of the class was focused on the lump lay spread out over the floor, the other half gazing at the monstrous form that had thrown the eraser at the front of class, holding a half-inch piece of chalk in his hand. The students also took notice to the large, white, jagged line running diagonally down the chalk board.

The teacher, Anthony, was almost foaming from the mouth. One disruptive student was one thing, but two stretched him to his limit. He was ready to snap and the whole class knew.

"Tsuchimi Rin! Ichigo Watanabe! Go stand in the hall! And meet me after class!" He yelled with ferocity.

"Y-Yes sensei!" Rin yelled, immediately standing up, face still red with embarrassment, and stiffly walked towards the door. Watanabe, his leg raised high in the air, twitching, was still silent.

"Watanabe-kun!" Anthony yelled yet again. In a flash the demon, Watanabe, stood up, flinging chair and desk aside. He stood erect in front of his teacher, mockingly at attention, and saluted Anthony with his left hand.

"Yes! Tony-sensei!" He yelled with sarcastic seriousness.

Anthony glared daggers at Watanabe, "Toe…ni…sen…say…." It could have been the "pop" of the tiny piece of chalk he held in his hand, or a blood clot exploding in his head, but no matter what, what was left of his patience shattered.

**--------------------**

"Ha ha ha!" Watanabe guffawed loudly as he stood out in the hall, a pail of water in each hand, "What an archaic form of punishment!" A big grin on his face, he continued to laugh to himself.

Rin, with a nervous looked, glanced over this demon. At first glance, he wasn't much different then most demons that had come through to this world. About Rin's size, a little larger, his ears stuck straight out from his head like most demons, instead of running alongside his head like those of the gods, and were much larger in size and dimension than human or god. His face was rounded, but not large by any stretch of the imagination. His hair was short, spiked wildly up and back and had an auburn tint to it. His eyes were odd, they reminded Rin of Mayumi's eyes, technically the same color just a different shade in each eye. Whereas Mayumi's eyes were more lavender, this demon's was red.

"_Kind of cliché eyes"_ Rin thought to himself, reminded of the fantasy stories were demons were once regarded as evil spirits. The following sensation washed over him like a tidal wave, that feeling of helplessness. For a brief few moments Rin had snapped out of his zombie like stage, but that was all over now as any life in his eyes were immediately lost. He stared blankly at his feet, almost forgetting the events that happened moments ago.

"What's your name?" Watanabe said, breaking Rin out of his trance. Rin looked up to him, an almost indifferent look covering his face. Rin noted one thing, no matter what, this guy loved to smile.

"R-Rin…Tsuchimi Rin." He said in a mellow tone. Watanabe's smile disappeared, as he stared curiously into Rin's face. Rin could actual see his face turning red as he gasped loudly, bringing his hand still holding the pail to his mouth.

"Ahhh! How embarrassing!" He shouted, bowing, "I'm soooooooo sorry!"

A bead of sweat ran down Rin's face, "Ehh…"

"It's just that Tony-sensei's class is so boring and I get so tired listening to him ramble on about differentials and excavations and other stuff that I just can't help but go to sleep." Rin tried to speak again, but Watanabe stood immediately up again a smile returning to his face, raising his hand next to his face and waving it splashing water around the place, "Hahaha, but who would've thought that the person I molested turned out to be a Rin-chan as well?!"

"Eh…yeah…that's something…um…" Rin stumbled over his words, he just wanted whoever this guy was to shut up. But the demon in front of him pouted, and pointed to his face still splashing water over himself and Rin.

"Watanabe. Wa-ta-na-bay. Remember that."

Rin blinked, thinking what a…common but unusual name that was. It sounded like a surname. But he nodded, empathetically, "Mm…"

Watanabe stared at him for a second, than smiled again and faced back to the other wall of the hall. "Good." He stretched, raising his hands and pails high in the air, spreading more water over the floor. Rin dodged the splash of water that headed his way, but glanced at Watanabe with an uninterested look, then continued to look at the floor. Silence spread over the halls for a few minutes, Rin once again zombified and Watanabe stretching his hand high above his head.

"I bet you want to know who my Rin-chan was, eh Rin-chan?" Watanabe broke the silence.

"Eh?" Rin said in surprise, that name hurt him, "Don't call me Rin-chan."

"Ah sorry sorry," Watanabe apologized, "Well…I KNOW you want to know but…" He turned to Rin, smiling, and waving his index finger in his face, "That. Is. A. Secret."

For a brief second, Rin began to feel an emotion return…annoyance.

**-----------------------**

It was that time of day again, the time for lovers to snuggle under trees and on benches, the time of day that allowed students to take a break from the hassle of classes…lunch.

To Rin, however, this was just another hour of pain. Although his heart wanted only one thing, his body still demanded physical needs. For a couple months he had survived lunch through Asa, Sia, Kaede, and Nerine's lunch, but for two weeks…anything from his past was painful to him, he just couldn't deal with it right now. He sat down, a plain bowl of regular ramen noodles and some curry bread. This would prove more than enough to get him through until dinner, taste and nutrition were at the bottom of this list, he just wanted his stomach to shut up.

He stared into his noodles. For a brief second he thought he saw Asa's image floating in the broth. But it was a passing moment, and he grabbed his chopsticks sitting next to him.

"Yo!" an annoying familiar voice called to him. Rin looked up from his ramen, to see the slender form of Watanabe standing before him, smiling. "Wat iz up?" Watanabe said in broken English. Rin just stared at him, and continued to eat his meal.

"Hey now, are you still mad from earlier? Oh, I know! You're mad because I won't tell you who MY Rin-chan is, well you'll have to tough it out cause you never gonna find out," Watanabe said with extreme confidence, Rin continued to be blank, praying that this pest would be gone soon. He would not have such luck.

"Oh, do you know that cute god in the back of our class, the one with the reddish hair and the big brown eyes with the perfect chest? She kept staring at you, I think she likes you why don't you ask her out?" Rin took in a big gulp of noodles, "Rin-san…you awake?"

Rin set his chopsticks down and pushed away from the table, Watanabe began to pout and glared at Rin.

"You're no fun," and with that, he reached out and grabbed both Rin's bread and noodles."

"Hey!" Rin yelled in surprise reaching out for his food, but Watanabe had it tucked firmly under his arms. "Give that back! I'm hungry."

"Smile." Watanabe blurted out. Rin reeled back in shock.

"W-Wha…?"

"You don't get this back to you smile," Watanabe told him again, his face still pouting, "I don't know what I did wrong but I'm gonna get you to smile one way or another…"

Rin was furious! How dare this stranger assume that the cause of all this pain was he! How dare he force himself to be happy! And by such a…ridiculous method! Rin's face began to turn red again, the feeling of bloodlust rushing to his head.

"Smile…" Watanabe said seriously, then broke out into a big smile, "Or try and take it from me."

Rin could feel the blood vessels in his forehead about ready to burst. This nobody just smiled at him as though nothing were wrong.

"Hee…"

Moments later, the sound of running filled the halls of Verbena High School, as a human chased a demon carrying a bowl around the entire school.

"Give that back!" Rin yelled at him. Watanabe didn't answer, instead running down the hall yelling "Wheee!" at a high-pitched voice. Rin, in his anger, found it amazing that this guy could run so fast, while carrying an almost full bowl of ramen at that. As he rounded a corner, he slipped and for a brief moment Rin thought this was it. He'd go crashing into the wall or the ramen would go flying, then he'd have him. But with minor spillage, Watanabe regained his composure and, although losing some ground to Rin, continued on his way, laughing.

"Think you can catch me Rin-kun?!" He yelled ecstatically, "I hold the Fukuruba High School record of the 'Curry Bowl Race'!" He laughed mockingly at him, "Just try and catch me!"

One more corner, Rin was beginning to lose steam. After noticing how wide Watanabe took corners, he resorted to a final sprint and cut off, hoping to catch him on this corner. Watanabe did indeed take the corner wide again, and Rin gave it all he got. He was further ahead than he thought, with arms outstretched, fingers length…he had him!

"W-What?!" Rin yelled, as Watanabe soared over Rin's head, a look of apathetic interest gazing down on his face. As if in slow motion, Rin's head followed Watanabe, legs spread wide, who flew over Ren and landed gracefully.

"_Shit, the wall!"_ Rin thought, and immediately braced for impact. He threw his shoulder forward, and had that impact most of the wall. He was still running at full speed, and hit the wall awfully hard. He bounced off and rolled down to the floor, landing with a thump.

Watanabe had yet to recover from his jump, and with little grace, twirled around trying to regain his composure, as he yelled "Rin-san!" Much to his avail, he did not see Anthony and Nadeshiko walking side by side to down the same hall. To add to his dismay, he forgot about the bowl of warm ramen he held in his hands.

Nadeshiko got the bulk of the food on her face and clothes, that of course is not to say Anthony didn't receive a large portion as well, including the bowl planted gracefully around the entirety of his face. Time froze for second, the bowl slowly sliding off Anthony's face and landing on the floor, the thud and rolling of the bowl creating a deafening noise.

Watanabe could see the flames of hell rising behind Anthony's back, his face looking directly at the floor and his silky white hair beginning to stand on end. No. Each strand of hair itself was coming to life, coming to life with an evil spirit of vengeance and hatred. Watanabe lost all color in his face, as his body shrunk down and trembled at the sight of a true demon in front of him.

Nadeshiko went for a different look. Unlike Anthony, who used dramatic effects of hellfire to express his anger, Nadeshiko was a silent angry. Her face contorted in a desperate attempt to not show her hideous side. Her eyes burned with evil, the veins in her forehead at full throttle. In some ways, she was more frightening than Anthony.

"I'll take the stupid one." Anthony said in a low demonic voice.

"I'll take the lazy one." Nadeshiko replied.

Watanabe's eyes lost their color, his pure-white face frozen in a look of terror as Anthony got closer to him. A faint scream escaped his lips.

Nadeshiko walked slowly up to Rin, her heels louder than the screams of pain coming from behind her. She bent at the waist and stared directly into Rin's face, who was still squirming with pain.

"Tsuchi…" she said in a low, threatening voice. Rin glanced quickly at her, his face scrunched with pain, then immediately turned away in a huff.

This was different from the regular Rin Nadeshiko was used to. The Rin that was under Nadeshiko's tutorage last year was…not really submissive as much as respectful to his superiors. This Rin was different, this Rin didn't care about anything.

"Tsuchimi Rin," she said with more anger in her voice. Still, Rin didn't look at her, he looked away, hurt in his face.

"Nadeshiko-sensei…" came a weak, defeated voice from behind her. She turned around to see Watanabe, slightly beaten up, dangling precariously from the back of his uniform at Anthony's hand. With a defeated and almost saddened voice, "Nadeshiko-sensei…Tsuchi didn't do anything wrong. I provoked him and took it too far." He turned slightly to the right, "Don't punish him sensei…" he turned to the left, "I'll take all the blame."

Nadeshiko stared at Watanabe, who's defeated face twisted with his body as he was held a foot off the ground. She glanced back down at Rin, who still looked away from her, holding his shoulder. She sighed, standing upright.

"Tsuchi, go to the nurses' office and get your shoulder looked at," she continued to look at him, his face without noticed changing back to his recent, uncaring zombified look it was.

"I understand," he said softly, as he got up only using his legs, leaned against the wall and began to walk away.

"Rin-kun…" that same annoying voice called to him, Rin looked over to see Watanabe digging into his pockets. He pulled out some paper yen and what looked like a crumbled curry bread, "The bread's still good, but it's a little smushed. I'm sorry I ruined your lunch Rin-kun, I was only trying to get you to laugh."

Rin stared at him for a moment, taking in the pieces of bread and crumbled pieces of paper in his hand. But he didn't care. He turned and continued to walk away from the three. He continued down the hall to the nurses' office, ignoring the pleas of mercy from Watanabe to his captors.

**-----------------------------**

Rin stared into his bowl of rice that had been sitting there for 20 minutes. He couldn't bring himself to eat it. For some reason, the rice that Asa had made for him was just so much better. What he had was the same brand, the same grain, the exact same kind of rice that he would eat with Asa. Yet it wasn't. It was awful. Everything lost its taste, it was just as well he ate dirt.

"_Asa-san! How are you?! I haven't talked to you in a while…I've missed you."_

"…"

Rin got up and walked to the TV. He didn't turn it on, just stared blankly at the dead screen. He wanted to turn off, he thought. He wanted to be like this TV. Just have someone come and turn him off. Maybe he would short circuit soon.

"_Ahh…I'm sorry, you've probably been busy. Finals are coming up soon for you aren't they? They're still about a month away for me. But hey, we have all summer to spend time together!"_

"…"

He picked up the bowl of rice and headed over to the garbage can. He wasn't that hungry. He turned the bowl over, and grain by grain the rice spilled out. He stood still for a moment, waiting for every last grain to drop out of the bowl.

"_Kaede and the others are wondering about you, they haven't seen you in a while either. Oh yeah, Nerine-san wanted me to ask you how Kareha-sempai was doing…Asa-san?"_

"…"

A few grains stuck to the bottom of the bowl. It wouldn't matter. He hadn't done dishes in days. One more wouldn't matter. He dropped the bowl into the full sink and walked away. Seven o'clock. He could stay up for a couple more hours, but doing what? Suffer? He crawled into bed, the darkness surrounding his entire apartment just getting darker.

"_Asa-san…what's wrong…?"_

"…_Rin-san…I need to talk to you…"_

Rin pulled the blanket over his head. Maybe I won't wake up tomorrow was his last thought before shutting his eyes.

**END**

**Writers Block**

Once again I apologize for taking so long, filler is an aspect I still have to work on, and although I don't consider this a "filler" chapter, a lot of it was not contemplated and thus wasn't as good as my original chapters has been.

Also, I am looking for a proofreader for my fanfiction, in particular _Shuffle!Hope_. If anyone is interested I would love to hear from you through e-mail only please. Requirements include being completely subjective, an open mind yet possess the ability to be very critical if need be. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, proper word usage is among a few things I look for, the rest include attention to story detail, character development, and above all else make sure to keep my OC's in check. I fear that people read the first chapter and go "new character, I'm leaving" and with the recent development of poor OC's it's understandable. Still, I want Anthony and Watanabe to not take away from the main characters, yet at the same time add an aspect to the _Shuffle!_ story that was not prevalent in the anime. Not making it better, but continuing the story for you, the reader, in one of an infinite number of possibilities, so above all else you have to look at the OC's in a negative light and make sure they do not take away from the main characters. Pay involved my gratitude and the reward of seeing how the story progresses before anyone else (except me).

And as a final note, I wish to let everyone know that if you, the reader, find something that you do not like, you do like, you want change, you want to see happen, please let me know. Although I am very critical of my work I love to hear what people think about it, whether it be bad or good, everything can be used to further improve this story. I have not given up on it, and I will make sure it will finish.

I hope everyone looks forward to the next installment of Shuffle! Hope, as it should be out soon enough. I receive any and all criticism, as it is not an insult to my character rather than it is an opportunity for me to expand and build, becoming better as I write. I love to write, I wish I wrote more. Have fun reading future installments of Shuffle! Hope, I know I'll have fun writing them. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: _Shuffle!_ and all characters therein are properties of outside companies and I in no way claim ownership of them.

**_Shuffle! Hope_**

Nerine watched the rain come down on this particularly gloomy morning. It was early, earlier than what she'd been getting up this time of year. The past week or so she had stayed in to get those few precious hours of sleep for late-night studying. The new chemistry teacher was tough, tougher than what should be expected for high school students a lot thought. Nerine thought she herself had it particularly hard and she thought he was singling her out at times. But she passed it off as paranoia or that she wasn't trying hard enough. Despite his gruff outer front, he always encouraged her to study hard.

But she sacrificed some studying this morning for something more important to her. In her hands was a bento of her all-to-famous omelet, lined perfectly in three layers. She knew it was too much for one person, and she never expected any one person to eat it all, even when she first made it. There was no telling from anyone how happy she was when Rin-sama had ate all of it in one sitting and enjoyed every last bit of it. Gradually, she learned how to cook other things, nothing big and mostly oriented around eggs. Over-easy eggs were difficult, but promising for her. Salads were an easy meal, if but a little bland and not very extravagant at her level. But she had grown since she first cooked, and always loved to see Rin-sama's face when he took that first bite.

But lately, Rin showed nothing.

She gasped as she looked out the window, and set the bento box down, grabbing her umbrella and picking up the bento again. She rushed out into the rain, doing her best to avoid the puddles. This time she would catch him. She ran out into the middle of the street, Rin bicycling hurriedly. She gripped the bento box hard, wondering if it was her or if Rin was moving awfully slow. He was getting close.

"R-Rin-sama! I made you something to…!" she couldn't get the last word out as Rin's bicycle passed her. Nerine stood out in the rain, until the last word escaped her mouth "…eat." She heard a splash and looked behind her, the paper wrapped neatly in a bag of plastic. She looked painfully at the paper, and up to the fading form of Rin. She thought she saw Kaede as well, peeking out from behind her gate, a plastic-covered paper lying in front of her as well. It took all of Nerine's strength not to cry.

**SCENE CHANGE**

Rin slipped on the last piece of his school uniform. He tried not to think much about this morning, about Nerine, Sia, and Kaede. Kaede always waited for her, it surprised him that both Sia and Nerine too waited for him. But it was just…too painful. He didn't want to be near them, for a very long time. He grabbed his bag, thinking briefly, _"I'll ask for a different route tomorrow."_

Rin stepped outside, closing and locking the door. He began walking towards the stairs when the door right before the stairs flung open.

"Eh…?" A familiar face mumbled as he stared sleepily at Rin, toothbrush in mouth.

"_Ohhh why…?"_

"WIN-SHAN!" Watanabe yelled, foamed toothpaste spitting all over Rin. "Wait jut ah 'econ!" The door closed in a slam, and Rin continued walking past the door. He heard the gargle and spit of water and toothpaste, and as he began walking down the stairs the frantic footsteps of running and dressing before a door slammed opened and a half-dress Watanabe sprinted to Rin's side.

"What a surprise! We live in the same apartment complex!" He yelled, as he slipped his last arm into the sleeve and straightened his tie. "You know it took me forever to learn how to tie this damn thing, now I do it everyday like its OH SHIT MY BOOKS!" A trail of smoke left behind in his wake, as a door was slammed open moments later.

Rin continued walking down the stairs and onto the streets, all the while ignoring the slam of a door again, the frantic yell of a forgotten lunch, and the opening and slamming of a door yet again.

"Rin-kuun!" a voice yelled out from the middle of the building. Rin knew who it was and kept walking, hoping he would get the hint. "Rin-kun! Wait for me!" Rin ignored him. Silence held for a moment, until Rin noticed a shadow cast over his body. He turned around and looked up to see Watanabe flying through the air.

"Rin-kun!" was the last words he had before slamming hard into the street a mere foot away from Rin, causing an explosion of dust. Rin looked at his battered form, lying helplessly on the ground, his limbs twitching every so often. For a moment, a sense of pity came over Rin. Not much though. He turned around and continued walking to school.

**SCENE CHANGE**

Kaede closed her locker, her eyes following Rin walking up the stairs to his class. She sighed longingly, this was another day like any other. Except, that is for the battered form of a student limping through the front door. His uniform was filthy, and his coat hung loosely over his shoulder. Kaede stared curiously at him, where had she seen him before.

His anger-riddled face dragged himself to his locked, a row behind Kaede. She heard the opening and closing of the locker door, and the shuffling and dragging of feet as he too made his way up the stairs.

"Oh…" she said, "he's the guy Rin-kun was chasing yesterday…"

The school bell rung its harmonious chime over the entire school, as students clambered about their classroom, conversing with one another and laughing before their teacher came in. The door opened in a flash, as the battered form of Watanabe stumbled into class. Everyone's eyes averted to him all except Rin's of course. He slowly made his way to his seat, the shuffling of his feet echoing throughout the classroom. He sat down in a slump behind Rin, his eyes glaring into the back of his head.

"You're mean Rin-san…" he whispered. Beads of sweat ran down the student's heads, as Anthony made his way into his room.

"Class is starting!" He yelled, "Everyone to your seats!" The movement of chairs and desks were heard, as Anthony set his papers down on his desk, straightening them. He looked up to see the mess that was Watanabe. A small vein burst through his skin on his head.

"Watanabe-kun…what happened to you?" He asked with restrained anger. Watanabe, not really paying attention too much else other than the back of Rin's head, snapped back into attention as he immediately stood at attention.

"Sir! I experienced some trauma this morning!" He said, the word trauma sounding suspiciously too much like tora-uma.

"Mmm?" Anthony said, curious, "What kind of trauma?" He said in perfect pronunciation.

"Sir! They had large heads and legs like giant cats and the body and tail of a horse." In one swift movement the large piece of chalk Anthony held exploded into dust, the entire class bursting into laughter.

**(Authors note: Tora means tiger, uma means horse. I know I promised I wouldn't do any Japanese joke but I loved this too much. Points for those who guess where it comes from)**

**SCENE CHANGE**

Lunch was beginning to end and all students had returned to their classrooms. Rin wondered where Watanabe disappeared to after he was sentenced to thirty laps around the schools track. He wasn't seen at all during lunch, which made Rin wondered what he was up to. He sighed, beginning to become bored with lunch period. He wanted it to end and get home. He stared off into space, until he felt the soft, fuzzy feeling of felt pressed against his ears.

"Wha…?" He muttered, until music, the volume turned all the way up, blared into his ears. It was so loud he didn't have time to care to recognize it as he threw the headphones off and turned around to see a grinning Watanabe holding a CD player.

"Guess what it is?! It's ¥atta! by…"

"What the hell's wrong with you?!" Rin screamed at the top of his lungs, causing the entire class to look towards them. Even Watanabe's grin was wiped clean by a look of surprise. Rin was going to tell him off, he was tired of this. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Rin-san…" a voice called out from behind him, before a hand was placed on his shoulder. He looked behind to see Anthony towering over him, looking down with remorse. Rin gritted his teeth, he was so mad. He just wanted to make this pest go away. His arm, that was trembling furiously, finally settled down and he sat down into his seat. Anthony looked at Watanabe, who bowed.

"Anthony-sensei, I provoked him yet again," he said, "I'll take any punishment."

Anthony looked at him for a moment, then turned around and walked back to the board. "You have a habit of rubbing people the wrong way, Watanabe-kun."

Still bowed, Watanabe muttered, "Yeah…I guess I do."

"Take your seats everyone!" Anthony yelled, "Open your books to chapter eleven!"

Through the flutter of books, Sia noticed something. She could have been imagining, no one else around her seemed to have notice. But she could have sworn there was a slight grin on Watanabe's face.

**SCENE CHANGE**

Rin stared angrily into the little face in his locker. Just moments ago, he had opened his locker in hopes of grabbing his shoes and getting out of there, before Anthony was done talking to you-know-who. But it was as if he anticipated this. As he opened his locker, a badly made Rin-doll popped out, attached to a spring, along with several pressure-loaded canisters of confetti.

"_Is…Is this supposed to be funny?"_ Rin thought. He grabbed the little doll and pulled it out of his locker, slipping on his shoes and headed out the door.

Rin was about halfway home. Today was…an odd day. Odd…and annoying. Every moment after learning who lived just a couple doors down from him was an anticipated assault from that same person. What was wrong with him? He'd only been here a week, but talked to him as if they've known each other for years. To top it off, it was even more infuriating that he didn't know HOW to address him.

But…what was more annoying? His actions…or…

"Rin-san!" An all-too-familiar voice called out to him. Rin froze in his place, as he heard the quickening footsteps approaching. "Rin-san! Rin-san! Rin-san! Rin-san! Rin-san!"

Rin clenched his fists, his arms trembling.

"Rin-san! Rin-san! Where ya going?!" He yelled, running in front of Rin. He tapped his chin, looking up into the sky, "Let's see…ah, why don't we invite that cute god from out class…um…what was her name again? Oh yeah Sia! Let's go grab something to eat, sounds good ne?"

Watanabe stopped talking after he looked at Rin's trembling body, he blinked a couple times, then bent down and looked into Rin's eyes, which were staring at the ground. He shrunk back and took a step away from Rin.

"Ah, sorry Rin. I just remembered that I got plans tonight," he said, smiling nervously, "So I'll catch you tomor-"

Rin swung. He swung as hard as he could. His blood boiled, his temper flared, and when Watanabe dodge his left hand back-swing, bag in hand, it only infuriated him more.

"Woah Rin-kun!" He shouted in surprise, he took a couple more steps back, scratching his head and still smiling nervously, "Watch it buddy, you almost hit me. I wouldn't do that again, but I'll leave so…" Watanabe didn't have time to finish his sentence as he saw the returning swing coming at him. His eyes narrowed.

Rin felt a strong force stop his arm in place. For a moment he thought it hit, but when his fist didn't hurt he realized something else. He looked to see Watanabe's hand clenched tightly over Rin's fist, his eyes staring deeply into Rin's. Rin didn't have time to react, in a flash Watanabe had turned himself around, his back to Rin's stomach. Rin felt as if his arm was going to pop out of his shoulder, then he realized he was flying. Rin hung in the air for what felt like minutes, before he came screeching to the ground with force. He arched his back up, considering it took most of the impact of the throw.

Watanabe sighed, and looked at Rin's bag, papers, and books, which covered the ground around him. He bent down and, paper by paper, picked them up and put them into Rin's bag.

"Hey Rin," he said softly, "You've probably gone through a lot of shit recently haven't you." Rin listened, reluctantly. "You're angry, sad, infuriated…and yeah, I had some part in doing that."

Watanabe straightened out the last of Rin's papers, before putting them back into his bag, and setting it down gently beside Rin. He walked back to his own bag and reached down to pick it up.

"But I'm not the reason you're angry…" He stood up, bag in his left hand, "Is it Rin?"

Rin had gotten up, he'd gotten up when Watanabe had bent down for his bag. His face was scrunched with anger, and he was charging Watanabe at full force.

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!" he yelled, his fists clenched it hurt his fingers. He would get him on the ground. He would beat his face in! He would teach him that cause of all his troubles was…

Rin thought he was shot. He stood, frozen in pain. Watanabe stood over his bent form, his hand planted firmly into his solar plexus. Soon, he realized that that loud rumble he felt throughout his body wasn't a bullet…it was Watanabe's fist. Immediately after that, he realized he couldn't breathe.

"Calm down. A force of this caliber only upsets the diaphragm, causing your lungs to tighten and not allowing any air to return. You'll breathe in a moment if you'll calm down." He made a noise of curiosity as Rin, his eyes tear soaked, as his hands slowly climbed up Watanabe's collar, reaching for his neck.

"What…what do you…what do you know about me?" He took a deep gasp, "You don't know…a goddamn thing…about me…" He tried to tighten his grip on Watanabe's neck, "Just…leave me…."

The next thud sounded louder than the last one, and didn't hurt any less. Rin faded in and out of consciousness.

"What do I know about you? Not much really." Rin realized he was crying, he didn't make a noise, but the tears were coming. "I can only guess what happened to you, but it would rude of me to place judgement like that."

Rin finally was able to breathe again, but his body refused to move, any part of him. His full weight rested completely on Watanabe's one arm.

"A few things I do know. One is that you're in pain. The other is that your friends are in pain too."

Rin's eyes widened. He began to tremble.

"I was stopped coming out of Tony-sensei's class today…"

"_Bye bye Tony-sensei! I promise to be good!" an excited Watanabe yelled._

"_And stop calling me that!" Anthony got one last yell in. Watanabe chuckled and began trotting down the hall. He stopped immediately when Sia stepped out in front of him._

"Sia was the first one to get to me. She looked quite upset…" Watanabe said, as Rin began to bury his head into Watanabe's arm

_"I'm sorry…do I know you?" Watanabe asked impolitely._

"_Well…no but…" Sia said, nervously._

_Watanabe cupped his fist into his hand, "Oh **I** get it! You're here to confess you're love to me! Well I think anything from…"_

"_It's not that!" She yelled in frustration._

"I figured what was coming, she did a bad job of trying to hide her sorrowful looks at you. Anybody who has even an inkling to judge one's feelings could tell hers."

"_Oh…this is about Rin-san…isn't it?" Watanabe asked. Sia nodded._

"_Look…I know you haven't been here long, so you probably don't know this…"_

"She's also very bad at lying, Rin-san," Watanabe said, Rin's shoulders began to exaggerate his breathing.

"_But he's been through a lot recently. I know you just want to be friends…but…"_

"It was hurting her Rin-kun…she tried to cover her hurt with concern. Yes, certainly, she was concerned, but it was…heartbreaking to see her not cry…not to sound too awful." Rin didn't even try to hide it anymore. Watanabe's sleeve was soaked at this point.

"She explained to me that you…suffered a great blow, a couple weeks ago. I have a guess, you mind if I say it aloud?" Rin gasped heavily, Watanabe made an agreeing noise, "She said it was painful for her to see you like this, but she was hurting a lot more than what she let on. Kaede and Nerine and that other girl…um…she never really said her name, but she had grayish hair and was pretty cute, if small."

"Pr…Pr…Primula…" Rin gasped out, sucking in a deep breath, and whining into his arm.

"Mmm, Primula. They too waited for me after school. All three of them…" He looked at them, "Rin-san…most people would be considered blessed to have so many people, who love them dearly."

"I know…." Rin said.

"But then again, it's difficult. You think that…you're the only one who feels like this. You know it isn't true, but it's…unavoidable. That's what heartbreak is. Whatever the reason, you just feel empty." Watanabe pulled his fist out of Rin's stomach, and Rin, fell to the ground, burying his head in his arms. "There are many ways people deal with it, few of them good. Some take it out on others, some cry for days, some grow an obsession to things, usually food. But the most worthless way…the most pathetic way to deal with trouble…" He bent down, grabbing Rin gently by the hair, and lifting him up to face him. Rin was embarrassed beyond belief that he was shedding so many tears in front of a stranger, a man at that, but he had to cry.

"The most pathetic of those are the ones who refuse to live." Rin wanted to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. "When I first saw you, I knew right away what happened. I'm only seventeen, but I've seen a lot happen where I've been…I've had a lot happen to me. You had broken heart written all over you. You were practically screaming it out. For about a week, I didn't care much, I didn't know you, why should I. But…" He smiled, "I like ya. You look like a fun guy. So that's when I decided to bug the crap out of you. I promise you I'm not really that annoying or pushy. Whereas Kaede-san, Nerine-san, Sia-san, and Primula-san chose to let you deal with your problem, sitting quietly by and watching you, I wanted you to live. There's nothing wrong with what they thought was better for you, but I just don't agree with that. You were a shell, no more than that. Nobody can just exists, they're bound to die horribly that way…as were you. You have to live, you have to breathe, and you have to feel emotion. You can't force someone to be happy, but…"

"_Smile…" _

"Anger is an emotion. It's not the best one, but it's proof that you are alive. What have you been doing for two weeks? Nothing. Thinking about nothing, caring about nothing, worried about nothing. You gained a little bit of life back when I jumped in. You started to feel emotion, you started to worry about your own personal space, you started to care about yourself." Rin sniffed, it had been minutes and he was still crying at full force, "Granted, I took it a step to far and was careless with your own feelings. For that I apologize, but at least now…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, "At least now you can find the life that you lost in you."

Rin took the handkerchief, but didn't use it, just squeezed it, his knuckles turning white, "I…I…sniff I almost…I almost killed myself…I almost killed myself to save her…I didn't care about…about anything other than her safety…so then…why…why did she do that to me?"

Watanabe stood up and precariously walked to Rin's side, bending down again and slamming his back several times, "That's what you do when you're in love! You forget about anything else, even your own life, and all that matters at that moment is that person who's right in front of you. That's what love is! But…" He looked into the sky, "Love isn't so straightforward."

"But…but…she…Asa…" Rin sniveled.

"Love isn't that simple. It would as soon break your heart hundreds of time over than falling in love and living happily with your first love. Your…I mean, this Asa…she…for some reason or another, couldn't find it in her to love you."

Rin bolted up, almost knocking Watanabe down, and looked him right in his eyes, "How can you say something so cruel?!"

Watanabe waved his hands in front of his face, "Ah ah sorry. But…unfortunately, it's the truth. Just because you love someone doesn't mean you'll stay in love with them. You…we're still young. We have the rest of our lives to find real love…love that will last the rest of your life." He stopped, and thought for a moment, "Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself."

Rin started to calm down and he felt it, "Kaede…Sia…I've hurt them all haven't I?"

"It's not permanent." Watanabe said smiling, "And…if my guess is right, it'll take a lot more than the last two weeks for them to stop loving you as much as they do. But right now, you need to take care of you. You need to start living again. It's all right to want to be alone most of the time, but take solace in the good things in life. Your friends, your family…everything you love to do, don't ignore them. Don't hurt them anymore, let them know that you're ok. But…I think one of the most important things right now is…no matter how much it hurts…treasure the good moments that you and this Asa spent together. Don't obsess over her! But grow strong from this, and spend your life with someone who will make you feel happier than you did with Asa…someone you would give your life a hundred times for."

Rin looked at the ground, he felt the tears coming back again. But he stopped himself, wiping his eyes and looking at the ground. He wanted to say something, anything, to break this silence that had surrounded them for a few minutes, until a beeping rang from Watanabe's pants.

"Hold on," he said, standing up, as he flipped his phone up and pressed a couple buttons. His eyebrows furrowed as he glared at his phone, muttering, "Shit." He collected his bag quickly and began to trot away from Rin.

"Let them know you're alright! I'm sure they'll be more than happy to hear you talk to them again!" He said as he ran off away, quickly.

The walk home, for Rin, was excruciatingly long. His eyes were still red from earlier, and he was embarrassed to be seen with such red, swollen eyes.

But…it felt good. Embarrassment, anger, that feeling of annoyance…everything in the last couple days was, although not spectacular, was fulfilling. He was far from recovered, but he at least he wasn't moving backwards. He did love his life, and despite what he said he said wished for, he really did want to continue on living. Sia…Nerine…Kaede…Primula…all those girls have, in one way or another, confessed their love for him. Asa did too, but did she mean it?

Rin's stomach growled. This growl was different than before, it was…actually hungry…hungry for something delicious. He got up from his bed and headed into the kitchen.

"No…she did mean it…" Rin said. There was no doubt about that, Asa was not the person to lie about something like that. She had loved him, probably more than he loved her. But…somewhere along the line, she couldn't love him anymore. Had something happened in college? Had something happened to her mother? To herself?

Rin opened the rice cooker, and began to scoop out the rice.

He didn't know. And that's what hurt him the most. She couldn't even stand to look him in the eye and tell him, but that still didn't hurt him as much as not knowing why. Maybe sometimes there is no sound reason. Maybe…love isn't always that simple.

He put the first scoop of rice in with his chopsticks. At last, he could taste again.

"Bleh, I overcooked it."

**SCENE CHANGE**

The rains of early morning continued to shower the earth long after the clouds have departed. The early sun and clear, rainy sky was an uncommon occurrence anywhere and in a way was strangely beautiful. Kaede shook off the droplets of water on her umbrella, and walked the all-too familiar crying Mayumi and spirit-less Sia, giving a warm greeting to both of them. She heard their defeated souls walk past her and up the stairs…and like every morning for the past week and a half she waited silently as the other students filed by her, laughing and carrying on. She wanted to laugh with them, to have fun with her friends like everyone else was. But deep down she could only do so much without Rin.

She closed her eyes as the door opened. Today was the day she was going to do it, she had to do it today. It's been two weeks, he needs a friend. He needs to know that he has people who still love him. She felt her face heat up, as she turned around her eyes shut tightly that it hurt her face. She stuttered over her words, she couldn't stop now!

"Good morning…" she opened her eyes, had it really been so long since she heard his voice, she looked up at him smiling at her, "…Kaede-chan." Kaede placed her hands to her mouth, slowly Rin's visage began to cloud up, as if she were looking at him through water.

"You know," Rin said, smiling, "If you want to say hi to me in the morning, you don't have to…" He looked at Kaede, and then realized, "Ah! K-Kaede-chan! D-Don't cry! I-I'm ok, really!"

But Kaede couldn't stop crying. She was just so overjoyed to hear his voice, she was just so happy to see that he was all right, that he hadn't given up on life. She wrapped her arms around him, forcing him into the lockers.

"Ooof! E-Easy Kaede-chan…my stomach's kind of sore this morning."

She wanted to say so many things. She wanted to call him stupid, call him an idiot, she wanted to tell him how much she loved him, how glad he was that he's alright…but she said nothing, just held him tightly, weeping softly into his chest. And, honestly, that was all that was really needed. Rin just held her, cradling her head and comforting her. Rin wanted to cry at well, but after all that happened yesterday, before and after dinner, he was exhausted from crying. He just smiled and held her closely.

"I'm sorry…Kaede-chan…" he said. He didn't need to say it, but he felt he had to. Kaede just sniffled into his jacket.

Kaede cried into his jacket for several minutes, actually making him late to his class. He burst through the door, out of breath, front of his uniform soaked. Thank goodness it was raining this morning, he thought. He looked around, the students were still in disarray, standing idly around, and chatting with one another…Anthony-sensei was nowhere to be found. He looked around nervously, before taking his seat. He noticed Itsuki, sitting next to him, looking sleepily at the chalkboard.

"Hey…Itsuki…where's Anthony-sensei?" Rin leaned in and whispered to him.

Itsuki sighed, tapping his chin, "I dunno, maybe we'll be lucky and he won't show up today." He sighed again.

Itsuki's eyes bolted open, and he dramatically turned to face Rin, scaring Rin.

"Wh-What is it Itsuki?!" he yelled.

"Is it really you Rin?!" he asked, leaning in inches away from Rin's face.

"Yes it's really me! What's the big deal?!"

"What do you mean what's the big deal?! You've been wandering the school like a zombie for the last two weeks I was afraid that you were going to bite someone! I gotta tell you, I'm not prepared for a zombie infestation."

Large drops of sweat ran down Rin's forehead. He sighed and shook his head ruefully, "Midoriba-kun…"

Rin searched for something clever and witty to comeback to him, he thought he had it until Itsuki's head was slammed face-first into Rin's desk. This made Rin jump yet again. He looked up to see Sia staring down into his eyes.

"R-Rin-kun!" She yelled. At this point, the entire class' attention was focused on these three here.

Rin, still exasperated from this morning…couldn't help but smile at the sweet face staring at him.

"Good morning…Sia-chan."

Sia smiled, she wanted to cry but she realized they had already made a scene. She wiped her eyes and looked in his eyes.

"G-Good morning…Rin-san," she said back. They stayed like that for a moment, just staring at each other sweetly. Then a familiar voice broke the silence,

"Get to your seats! Class is starting!" Anthony yelled, causing everyone to settle down and return to their desks. Anthony put his briefcase on the desk, "I'm sorry I'm late. I had a late night last night, and I realize that this probably sets a bad example for you students but…"

"Do as you say, not as you do sensei?" Some smart-mouth said from the back of the class. The class erupted with laughter, as the light flashed off Anthony's glasses as he glared in the back of the room.

"Fifteen page project. Due Monday." He said without hesitation and with great seriousness.

"Ehhh?! On what?!" The student asked in a panic, the entire class was still laughing.

"On whatever I talk about today, you'll see," he pushed his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose, the light reflecting off his lens, "And I got a special lecture planned for today."

The student in the back slowly and gracefully slid down his seat, waterfalls streaming for his eyes. The class continued to laugh even as Anthony asked for quiet, even Rin. It felt like forever since Rin laughed, and he enjoyed it thoroughly.

The rest of the day was just as eventful. At lunch, both Sia and Nerine spilled their hearts out to Rin and needless to say, made Rin want to cry too. He didn't of course, but he wanted to. Kaede wanted to cry too, but she had already cried to him already. It was Sia and Nerine's turn. Primula looked as if she wanted to cry too, but she held back and settled for hugging Rin for a long time. They all scolded him too, of course, after all was said and done. Rin explained to them that he was still hurting, and that he still wanted to spend some time alone to collect his thoughts. But there would be times, a lot of times, where he still needed them, and with time he would be the same person he always was, no even better…and of course, all of them were ecstatic that they could help the man they loved once more.

**SCENE CHANGE**

In a darkened room, Watanabe typed furiously at a computer, a pocky stick in his mouth. Chocolate flavored. His eyes stared intensely at the screen in front of him, the corner of his mouth showing little by little growing scowl, as the piece of pocky in his mouth slowly pointed upwards, before finally snapping. Watanabe jumped and fumbled with the half- piece of pocky before catching it, sighing in relief. This all ended quickly as he growled, and stared to rub his head furiously. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, punching the numbers on the keypad with great force. As he sent the call out, he placed it against his ear and held it with his shoulder, continuing to type at the keyboard before him.

"Doctor," he said in slow English, continuing the conversation in Japanese, "I don't understand this damn thing at all."

"…"

"Yes I KNOW this isn't your specialty but you know a lot more than I do, now just tell me about this code I need."

"…"

"Mm-hmm. Ok, ok I see. Match up the frequencies…" his fingers typed fast and furiously, even after he removed one hand to adjust his phone, "So all that's left is to adjust the video feed to the camera…aaaaand…"

In one solid movement, he pressed enter. In front of him, nearly a dozen computer monitors lit up, each one showing a different angle on a room. Watanabe smiled.

"Bingo."

**END**

Stay tuned for Chapter 3. Ja ne!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: _Shuffle!_ and all characters therein are properties of outside companies and I in no way claim ownership of them.

**_Shuffle! Hope_**

Finals were finally over! Every student at Verbena high school breathed a sigh of relief as just a week of classes was left. Everyone would receive their marks halfway through the week, get all their homework, and then nearly two whole months of summer vacation. Some students of course would spend about a week finishing their homework, but anybody who had a life knew that it was possible to get it all done in one day. But homework was the last thing on anyone's mind right now, right now the only thing they cared about was that last final week and getting it over and done with.

Rin was getting better, and his smiled only made the girls love him more. He still spent days after school alone and he honestly didn't do much. But during school, when they had breaks, he would spend as much time with them as he could. He began to smile more, laugh more, feel more. There were still pangs of pain he felt, and there were times he wanted to be alone during school, but there were also times he really missed hanging out with Itsuki and the girls. But he had a phone, and everyone was just a phone call away if he wanted to talk or spend time with anyone. Today he was feeling particularly cheerful, it was the last week of classes before summer break and he did exceptionally well on his finals, despite only a week of hard studying. He rested back in his chair, minutes before the first day of the last week before summer break was about to begin. He looked back to see Watanabe's face planted deeply in his arms.

"Uhnn…" he moaned.

"What's wrong with you?" Rin asked.

"Tired…" he said exasperated, "My boss has been running me ragged."

"Where you work at?" Rin asked, never really taking notice of anything since some time ago.

"Video store," he said, raising his head so his half-closed sleepy eyes stared blankly past Rin, he grinned wide, "Hey Rin, if you get me the money I can get some videos from the back of the store."

Rin's face turned red with embarrassment, "Now hold on a minute, I'm not into…"

"C'mon Rin-kun, you're a growing, healthy boy, there's no shame in watching a few dirty movies."

Rin looked down at the ground, that perverted smile set amongst the half-asleep face was unsettling, but…

"Well…I guess there is a kind that I…"

"Rin-san!" A perky female voice called out to him. He nearly bolted out of his seat as he turned around, facing Sia and Itsuki.

"S-S-Sia-chan! H-How are you this morning?" He said nervously.

"That's good!" she said excitedly, she looked at the dazed Watanabe, still staring blankly past Rin, "What were you two talking about?"

Just as Rin opened his mouth, Watanabe spoke up.

"Rin was just about to tell me what kind of porn he want-" he was stopped suddenly as his face was rammed hard into his desk. Sia looked at Rin disgustingly.

"Rin-san you pervert…" she muttered.

"No Sia! That's not what…" Once again, he was cut off by someone more perverted than himself.

"Well well well…" Itsuki said, dramatically pushing his glasses closer to his eyes, "It appears that our young Rin has a preference for older, more experienced women."

Rin's face was bright red, "Midoriba!"

"Oh it's ok Rin-kun," he said, placing his hands on Rin's shoulders, "Admitting your preference is a sign that you've matured. Of course, with this that means that you have given up on Sia-chan."

"Now hold on a minute! I didn't say that!" Rin said, although he didn't mean it like he said it still was enough to make Sia blush and smile sweetly.

"Ohhh…" Itsuki said with extreme interest, "In that case that means that you must have given up on Kaede-chan and Nerine-chan."

"Will you stop making such wild assumptions?!"

"Sia-chan it's ok," he said placing his hand on her shoulder, "In the end the decision is up to you as well, so I understand if you can't be with a man who is so wishy-washy."

Sia snubbed him, smacking his arm off, "Nope." She smiled, leaping into Rin's lap, "Rin-kuuuun! Save me from the pervert!" She yelled, burying his head into her chest.

"S-Sia-chan…" a muffled voice came from her bosom, "Let…go…."

"Ah! Sorry Rin-kun!" She yelled, jumping off of him. She blushed and bowed, although things were much better than they were a week and a half ago, Rin was still sensitive about feelings of adornment, and for the moment preferred to have things be quiet for a while.

Still, a small smile escaped Sia's lips. She really enjoyed doing that, thanks to her perverted twin sister.

"If Sia-san wants to…" a sleepy voice called out, she looked at the half-conscious Watanabe, "After Rin tells me the type of video he likes I can tell you so you can…"

Anthony walked into the room, just as he was about to speak he heard the constant thudding of what sounded like a hollow object against a hard surface. Followed by the line, "NO RIN-KUN NOT THE FACE!" He settled for silently muttering something anti-Semitic and walked slowly to the desk in front of the class.

**SCENE CHANGE**

"Here, Rin-sama, say ahhhhn…" Nerine said, holding a piece of omelet close to Rin's face. Rin's eye twitch, he didn't know what was with these girls, it must be an inherent motherly instinct or something. All he knew that he was getting more attention than what he wanted right now, his stomach felt like it was about to explode…and he could not under any circumstances say no to any of the three pairs of big beautiful eyes staring at him like so. He painfully forced a smile and opened it, swallowing the omelet. His body almost rejected it; it was as if he could hear his stomach going "We can't take any more!"

"Nerine-chan," came a melancholy voice from the area of stairs, which lead to the roof where Rin, Nerine, Kaede, Sia, Mayumi, and Itsuki ate a hearty lunch…Rin moreso than the others. The entire group looked to see Primula staring at them, a wrapped bento box in her hand.

Nerine blinked, "What is it Primula-chan?"

Primula pointed at Rin, who looked exasperated, "I don't think Rin eat any more."

Nerine blinked, turning to Rin, a look of surprise coming over her face, "Ehhh?! I'm sorry Rin-sama!"

Rin held his stomach, trying desperately not to look in pain, "It's ok Nerine-chan…I know you meant well…all of you. But…I think I'll make my own lunches for a while, if that's ok with everyone."

Sia, Nerine, and Kaede both nodded in unison. Primula cupped the bag of cookies she held behind her back, secretly cursing her bad timing. When everyone turned away she stashed it into her pocket, hoping they wouldn't crumble. She sat down beside Mayumi and opened her lunch, and silently began eating. In the distance, Itsuki looked crushed.

"How does he do this every time it's like he has some kind of love-love aura around him, I just don't understand it how come I haven't gotten a lunch from anyone for the past month am I losing my touch…"

The only ones who really paid attention to him were Mayumi, Rin, and Nerine. Mayumi heard every word he said, her hair beginning to stand on end, squeezing the chopsticks in her hand. Rin just didn't care, trying his hardest not to notice him, but failing. Nerine blinked, looked at the lunch she made, realizing there was still a whole other box left. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but he looked troubled and he was always happy to eat her lunch.

"Um…Itsuki-san…would you like to have some of my lunch?" She asked gently, this seemed to snap him out of his trance, as he quickly rushed forward to her, chopsticks in hand, looking up at her with his patented Itsuki-Stare ™.

"It is an honor to be able to partake of such a delicious meal Nerine-chan," he reached his hand under the box, purposely touching hers, which made Nerine REALLY uncomfortable, "Each bite I take shall be a reminder of the gentle, beautiful nature of…"

"Everyone cover your food," Mayumi interrupted. Without hesitation everyone, including Nerine, covered their lunches with their hand or the box tops. Itsuki blinked, a look of confusion spread over his face. Mayumi breathed in deep, and placed her hands further behind her. In one hard "HYYAA!" she bent her upper body backwards, throwing her left leg up hard into Itsuki's chin. Blood and spit spread a good foot in the air as he flipped in the air, landing hard on his collarbone. Mayumi resumed her sitting position, continuing to eat her lunch, everyone else doing the same without much care.

"Hey Nerine-chan," Rin asked, looking at her, "How come you're not on the radio today?"

"Oh, um…well since it's the last week before summer break they decided to take the week off. We got permission from the teacher so it's alright," she smiled and blushed, "Thank you for thinking about me Rin-sama."

Rin smiled, "It's ok."

Sia began to pout, softly growling as she shoved a large portion of rice and began to chew.

"Sia, does the Art Club have anything going on over the summer?" Rin asked.

Sia's eyes widened, as she tried to talk to him, "Mmf, ooo eee…" she closed her eyes embarrassed, taking in a deep gulp, almost choking on her rice, she took a few quick breaths, before continuing her sentence, "As I was saying, the president wants us to do something over break on our own but also get together sometime during the break. I suggested that we draw to see what we should do, like landscapes, or still life, something along those lines. Everyone in the club is really talented I thought, so it shouldn't be too much trouble to do that. Everyone liked the idea, so he's giving it a lot of consideration." She giggled after she told him. She joined the Art Club near the end of last year, after spending a lot of time thinking about what she wanted to do. The Radio Club didn't interest her and Kaede and Primula were already in the Cooking Club, this was something new and exciting for her. Besides, it only took a "You're a really good painter" from Rin to close the deal.

Around this time Itsuki started to regain consciousness, he sat up slowly and painfully, his flushed face regaining it's color.

"Green does not suit you Mayumi," surprisingly he was able to anticipate and dodge the oncoming punch.

"Don't talk about something that you don't know you pervert," Mayumi said angrily.

"Like hell I don't know. My entire physical being knows, I've been getting beaten up for the simplest things lately. I already told you that I'm into fuller, more robust wom-"

Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, he failed to dodge the next kick. Mayumi got up, her face beet red and stormed off, half-eaten lunch in hand.

"Fine! I don't want to eat with a half-wit moron like you who's only viable source of blood rushes straight to his penis!" she yelled. This of course, caused several faces to get even redder than hers, as she slammed the door leading into the school with a loud thud.

"Mayumi-chan!" Kaede yelled, getting up and quickly rushing after her. Rin, Sia, and Nerine looked at the unconscious Itsuki, who didn't hear a word that Mayumi said. They all sighed, Primula taking a bite of her octopus ball she and Kaede cooked earlier.

Meanwhile, down in the school, Mayumi furiously kicked the bottom of a random locker, her foot making a large indentation with every kick.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" She yelled with each kick. Kaede, carrying her bento box with both hands by the cloth, rushed to Mayumi's side.

"Mayumi-chan?" She asked worriedly.

"Arrgh!" Mayumi yelled, her wild eyes staring up into the sky, "Does he revel in the fact that I'm smaller than Primula-chan?! Does that bring him pleasure?!" Kaede smiled and laughed nervously, as Mayumi continued to assault the locker.

"M-Mayumi-chan…he didn't say a thing about Primula-chan…" she said, hoping to calm her down. Kaede actually became surprised when she did stop, as she rested her arm on the locker and her head against the locker, looking down at her feet.

"He's an idiot…" she whispered, barely enough so that Kaede could hear her. Kaede looked at her curiously, possibly…

"Mayumi-chan…?" she asked cautiously. Mayumi peeked at her over her arm, and pushed herself off the locker.

"That guy pisses me off so much! Oh, I can't wait till I see him again, he's going to get it!" She yelled defensively, grinding her fist into her palm. Kaede blinked.

"Mayumi-chan…" she said again.

"Hey! My locker! What did you do to it?!" came an unknown voice.

"Don't talk to a lady like that! A lady's allowed to get angry if she wants to!" Mayumi yelled back.

Kaede smiled, she had a feeling what was going on.

"Grrghh…let…go of…my neck…" the poor guy cried out. Around that time, Rin and the other girls came down from the stairs to see Mayumi strangling a guy from her class.

"It's not my fault I won't grow out! You think I like being smaller than a first year?!"

"Grandma…is that you…?"

Kaede trotted up the Rin and the others, and started to shoo them away, smiling, "Mayumi needs some time to think about something. Let's leave her alone for the moment?"

"But…what about Tenmura-san…?" Nerine asked.

"I have to agree with Kaede-chan on this one," Rin said, staring horrified at Mayumi who had Tenmura dangling, "Besides he's in the swim team, he can survive a little longer."

"Cross over…." was the last thing to escape his lips.

**SCENE CHANGE**

Rin looked at his watch as he walked home from school. He had several good hours before bed. He wasn't used to being alone for so long, but at the same time he enjoyed it. He was still far from settling his own feelings out, and he knew Kaede-chan and the others meant well, but he still wasn't used to feelings of affection yet. A quiet walk home was a warm welcome to him.

"_How long could this last…?"_ he thought. True now he enjoyed walking being alone, but when he and Asa were still going out, he wanted nothing more to spend the evening with her. And if not her, then with the other girls or Itsuki. When he got lonely walking home would that mean he was completely ready to move on? For that matter, would moving on require him to...choose again?

He shook his head. It was entirely too early to be thinking about THAT now. He hadn't seen either Shin-sama or Maoh-sama for a month, and choosing Nerine or Sia meant choosing THEM as well, and…that was not a pleasant thought.

Rin saw his apartment in the distance. It was small, but it was cozy. He noticed that something bright-white was in front of his door, he walked up the stairs, wondering what it could be. As he reached his door, he looked to see a little note taped to a large white grocery bag. On the front of a note was a chibi-demon smiling wide, and inside was some writing.

"_Rin-kun, take your choice! Sia-chan really wants to know too!"_

His eyes shrunk, and with a creaking motion looked into the bag. Sure enough there were several movies with dirty covers in plain view for the whole world to see. He crumpled the note in his hand. Then with a relaxing breath let out his anger.

"It's ok Rin…" he said, "This is just how he is, besides nobody saw it…"

A door from down the hall opened, and out popped a little boy with big rosy cheeks.

"Mama look it's the pervert-oniichan."

"Get inside Jin-kun…" a hand came out and gently cradled the boy's head, bringing him inside.

"_I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!" _Rin screamed inside his head, clenching his fists.

Rin turned on the lights to his apartment, the bulb flickering before showering the entire room with light. He walked a couple steps, setting his bag down next to the bathroom and setting the dirty bag next to his TV. He began to take off his uniform, casually glancing at the bag.

"…." Then he shook his head, frustrated. He would not give into such carnal desires.

He stopped momentarily again, slowly turning to look at the bag again. It beckoned to him. He could hear all the women calling his name.

Rin closed the door to a near bare cupboard.

"Out of sight out of mind," he told himself. He sat down in front of his TV and turned it on. He spent the next hour and a half, flipping channels watching whatever caught his interest, before turning it off and heading to the kitchen. He had a bachelor's meal, being too tired to actually try his hand at cooking today…then again he never really had the need to. As he began to microwave the instant ramen, he looked at a small box on his nightstand. He stood there for a moment, before walking over and opening it up. He pulled out a thin, silk ribbon, about a meter long. He let it run through his hand, ever so gently touching it.

"_Hey Rin-chan…" Asa said, lying in his arms._

"_Hmm, what is it Asa-san?" Rin asked, looking down at her._

_She sat up straight, undoing the tie into her hair._

"_I want to give you something," she said, gently folding her ribbon. She turned around and got close to Rin's face, closing her eyes and smiling. Rin blushed, thinking that she was going to kiss him. He closed his eyes and moved closer to her, until he felt something soft drop into his hands. He opened his eyes and looked down into hands_

"_What's this?" He asked, cradling Asa's ribbon, "A-Asa-san…why are you giving me this?"_

_She continued to smile, "Because I want to. I want this to be a memory of us…of everything we've been through…"_

_Rin's eyes glimmered, "W-What do you mean Asa-san?" For a moment he thought she was avoiding eye contact with him. Then she looked up, her large eyes staring lovingly into his._

"_No matter what, I'll always love you Rin-chan." And with that she wrapped her arms around him and softly but firmly kissed him._

Rin continued to cradle the ribbon. He had gone over it many times since Asa broke up with him. At first he thought about destroying it, then he obsessed about it. For the past few days he had gone over that same scene in his mind. It was only a month before the dreaded phone call…was she trying to tell him something? Rin held the ribbon to his face, covering his eyes. This thing really shouldn't be used for tears he thought, but he couldn't help it.

The beeping of the microwave snapped him out of his dream. He looked back to the microwave, then down at the ribbon in his hand. He gently set it on the bed and went to the microwave, opening it up and grabbing his food. He set the bowl on the heated table, sitting down with his legs under the blanket. Yeah it was summer, but he was a heat kind of guy, he didn't have it turned on anyway. He opened his English book while he began to eat, half-paying attention to his studies. There was a knock on his door when he was halfway through his dinner.

"Ya-hoooo!" an excited Watanabe greeted him when he opened the door. In his hands were two bowls of what looked like ramen.

"Watanabe-san! What a surprise!" Rin said way-too happily, please come in.

"Don't mind if I do," Watanabe replied, smiling wide as he walked into his apartment, he looked around curiously, "Kind of a drab place don't you think?"

"Are those for me? Please set them down here!" Rin said, patting the counter next to him.

"Oh yeah! They're Tokyo-style ramen! Quite a delectable treat if I do say so myself. First you gotta bruise the onions and ginger, after of course making the soup stock, then you boil some water, adding chicken bones to soak up the flavor…"

Rin smacked the table again, harder, forcing a smile, "Please. Set. Them. Down."

"Ah…ah of course! One handing these are kind of heavy, so if you don't mind…" he set them down, "Now as I was saying, you boil the chicken until the color of the meat changes then…

Moments later Rin was drowning his face into one of the bowls that he brought over, a look of evil and anger washing over his face as he growled into his ear, "If you ever leave something like that in front of my door again I will not be held responsible for what happens to you." Rin assumed that when he stopped thrashing that he was paying attention…or he was dead

"Waaa! Rin-san's mean!" Watanabe cried, his face and upper body drenched in noodles and vegetables.

"Oh shut up and act like a man," Rin said, sitting down on the floor hard. He reached for his bowl of ramen he eating minutes ago, but when he grabbed nothing, he opened his eyes. He stared wide-eyed at Watanabe who was slurping his soup, "What are you doing?!"

Watanabe didn't answer, he just glared into the ramen unappealing, "Instant ramen…inferior noodles set against water that absorbs the flavor and…" He sniffed twice, looking up and glaring at Rin, "Artificial flavoring…"

Rin's eye twitched, "Yeah…so…?" The two stared at each other, the glares canceling each other out. Watanabe closed his eyes in disgust.

"Disgusting." And with that the ramen went in the garbage.

"My dinner!" Rin cried out, stretching his arm out in vain to save it.

"Rin-san…" Watanabe said, his back to him, he slowly turned to his head to where Rin could see the corner of his slanted eye staring back at him, "Rin-san…I know you have been pampered most your life, but even this I cannot attest to. It's time you learn to take care of yourself better…for instance…"

He slammed the other bowl of ramen in front of Rin, he stared at it with displeasure…

"EVEN THOUGH, you ruthlessly assaulted my first bowl of ramen, I cannot stand to see you suffer like this. So I implore you to partake upon my portion of Tokyo-style ramen, that I cooked my…"

"No." Watanabe face-faulted.

"Why not…" Watanabe gasped out, as he climbed his way onto the tabletop.

"Well…" Rin raised one index finger, "For starters, I have to learn to fend for myself, I'm on my own so I'll eventually learn how to cook better," he held out his middle finger in addition, "two, it's completely weird that after knowing you for only a week you bring me a full-course meal like this," ring finger, "three, after ONLY knowing you for a week, I have no trust in your ability to cook," now all four fingers were held out, "and as a repeat of number three, I know you well enough that you probably poisoned this."

Watanabe lay on the table, defeated, "Your words wound me Rin-san…"

"So if you don't mind, I'll continue on my OWN meal with the food that **I** cook and…"

"UNACCEPTABLE!" Watanabe yelled, shoving a mouth-full of ramen into Rin's mouth, a slight "hyaaa" escaping his open mouth. The two stood frozen for a moment, Watanabe's chopsticks shoved halfway in Rin's mouth. Rin slowly gulped and chewed, the food caressing his tongue and teeth. He swallowed, looking at the bowl of ramen in despair.

"Its…its…" he gulped, having no feeling to say the last word, "Delicious." His arms slowly creaked out, grabbing the bowl and holding it close to his face.

Watanabe smiled triumphantly, "Heh Rin-kun, a lone man cannot survive on instant food alone. In this day and age, it is not uncommon for a man to know how to, no, to be EXCELLED in cooking. I feel sorry for those poor bachelors who live on bread crusts and day-old rice…it's a shame. So I shall take you under my wing! What do you say Rin-kun!"

"No," Rin said forcefully, "I admit this is good, but I prefer to learn on my own terms, and from here on I'll eat my own meals."

A large sweatdrop ran down Watanabe's head, "Then why is it all gone…" he muttered.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have studying to do, so if you'll please leave…"

"Hey what's this," Watanabe said interestingly, Rin glanced up to see him reaching for Asa's ribbon that he left laying on his bed.

"DON'T TOUCH IT!" Rin yelled. Watanabe glanced over at him, his arm still reaching out for her ribbon, Rin had stood straight up, glaring at Watanabe. Watanabe blinked, then pulled his hand back.

"Sorry sorry," he said solemnly, "I didn't mean to make you upset."

Rin looked away at him, at the ribbon, "No…I'm sorry for getting upset…but that's precious to me, I don't want anything to happen to it."

Watanabe walked towards the door, arms grabbing the back of his head, "I understand, I have something similar," he waved, not looking back, "I'll see you at school tomorrow Rin-san, I might be late, could you tell Tony-sensei please?"

"Mmm…" Rin groaned, agreeing. He heard the door close, as he looked at Asa's ribbon, he sighed, "Kaede-chan…Sia-chan…Nerine-chan…I still got a long way to go yet." He grabbed Asa's ribbon and held it close to his heart, then got up and placed it back in it's box.

**SCENE CHANGE**

"He's going to be late?" Anthony said curiously, looking up at Rin from his chair in the teacher's office, "Did he say why?" Rin shook his head, Anthony sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose, "He's only been here two weeks and he's already causing this much trouble…"

Curiosity overcame Rin, he had to see what Anthony's eyes looked like. He glanced around, hoping to see a gap in the glasses and his eye. There was, but it was small, a little closer.

He came face to face with Anthony.

"Can I help you?" He asked, Rin jumped back, embarrassed, waving his arms.

"N-N-N-No!" He bowed, "I'll be getting to class now."

"Rin-san," Anthony blurted out, stopping Rin in his tracks.

"Y-Yes Anthony-sensei?"

"I've only been in this school for a couple months…but I'm glad to see that your acting like yourself again," he looked up at Rin, who stared back at him in surprise. Rin felt like he had to say something, but nothing came out. He bowed again, and turned and walked out the door, Anthony turning in his seat to his work.

"That was weird," Rin said to himself as he walked to class. But he didn't think anything too much of it, then a voice called for him.

"Rin-sama!" a polite feminine voice came from behind him, only one person Rin knew addressed him as such. He turned around, as Nerine trotted up to him.

"Nereine-chan, is something wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head, smiling, "No, it's nothing. It's just…" She blushed and looked at the ground, "I don't get to see you very often since we're not in the same class anymore, and we still had a few minutes before class started, so I just wanted to see you."

Rin smiled, "Sure thing Nerine-chan, is there something on your mind?" he asked her as he turned around heading to class, Nerine following at his side.

"Well, I was planning on asking everyone this at lunch today, but what are your plans for the summer Rin-sama?"

Rin looked up at the ceiling, "My plans?" Nerine nodded, smiling up at him, "I don't know, I haven't really thought about it much. Work is really the only thing I have planned at the moment."

"Do you think we could go to the beach again this summer?!" She said excitedly, she blushed and calmed her tone, "I mean, if you don't have to work."

"No, it'll be fine. We get a long summer break compared to other schools, there'll be plenty of time for me to take off work."

Nerine clasped her hands together, "That's wonderful! I've been practicing my swimming, I've gotten a lot better since last year Rin-sama…" She shifted her shoulders, "Could…could you maybe watch and see if I need to practice more?"

Rin smiled, he would never admit it but he had a weakness for cute women, "Sure thing. It's a promise."

Nerine eyes widened with excitement, squealing ever so softly, "Thank you Rin-sama!" The bell rang, Anthony walking past them.

"Rin-san, Nerine-sam…please get to class, if I get there before you Rin I'll make you do twenty laps around the school."

"Er, y-yes sensei!" He started to run away from Nerine, "Nerine-chan, I'll see you at lunch today!"

"Yes Rin-sama! I didn't make you a lunch today by the way!" She said, hoping it didn't come out wrong as she bolted into the classroom.

**SCENE CHANGE**

"I haven't had a full summer break in three years!" Mayumi yelled into the tablecloth, "And this is my senior year!" Everyone just smiled nervously, sweating.

Itsuki laughed smugly, "As usual, I passed all subjects without any worries whatsoever."

"Shut up!" Mayumi yelled.

Nerine took a bite out of her onigiri, "I did well too, how about you Rin-sama?"

Rin scratched his chin, "Well, I didn't study as much as I usually do before finals, but considering how much I did I did really well."

"Not well enough to place your grades against me I bet," Itsuki said, smiling.

"Itsuki-san, in the interest of fair play I will spare you the humiliation of a crushing defeat and peacefully backing out," Rin said bowing graciously.

"Rin-kun, you flatter me with your modesty, and I understand if you wouldn't want to embarrass yourself in front of so many women so I humbly accept your offer," a faint smile crossing Itsuki's lips passed as his words sunk into Rin.

"Itsuki-san, my dear friend I will not fall prey to your mincing words of hate and subdued anger, so I implore upon you to graciously accept this once in a lifetime win and we shall continue our lunch."

Itsuki shrugged, raising his palms shoulder height, in the background he could hear the faint giggling of the girls around him, "Rin-kun, your words wound me. If I had known you had such an inferiority complex…"

"STOP IT! JUST STOP IT!" Mayumi yelled, crying her eyes out, "IT'S NO FAIR THAT TWO BOOBS LIKE YOU ARE ABLE TO PASS AND I CAN'T MANAGE TO GET A FULL SUMMER IN MY SCHOOL LIFE!" Through her weeping she looked up at Sia, a faint glimpse of hope in her face, "Sia-chan…"

Sia smiled, albeit nervously, "Sorry Mayumi-chan, I passed enough tests to not take summer lessons," Mayumi's face turned to stone, her tears freezing over. She knew Kaede was super smart too, but unsure about Primula. She turned slowly, her last glimmer of hope that she wouldn't be alone this summer.

"Primula-chan…" she said, than gasped when Primula, with a small smile, looked at her with an outstretched hand, giving Mayumi the 'V' sign.

"I passed." She said, too-coldly everyone seemed to have noticed. Mayumi at that point lost all feeling in her body, slowly collapsing on the floor.

"Come on Mayumi-chan, it's not like Primula-chan would be in the same class as you for classes," Kaede said.

This still didn't make Mayumi feel any better, as she lay on the, lifeless.

"Maybe if you spent more time studying and not as much trying to…" Itsuki was about to say something, until Sia shoved a large shrimp into his mouth.

"Don't take it the wrong way," she said, eyes closed tightly, "I just have no interest in seeing you die today."

"Wai wonderwand," Itsuki said, secretly thanking Sia for doing what he could not do, shutting himself up.

The group continued to laugh and enjoy their meal, and Mayumi's misery. All the while, from the staircase leading into the school, a young man watched them, his mouth twisted into a frown. The light bounced off his glasses, as he stared maliciously into the group.

**END**

I have a question for the more knowledgeable Shuffle! fans out there who have taken an interest in my story. I need to know, is there any knowledge of the status or whereabouts of Sia's and Nerine's mothers at the end of the seres. As far as I can remember from the story, neither of which was mentioned at all, so I am curious as to their status. If there is any proof at all, and by proof I mean "creators have officially said that..." proof, not, "I think this is what's going on..." proof. Thank you all very kindly. :)

Stay tuned for Chapter 4


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: _Shuffle!_ and all characters therein are owned by outside companies and I claim no ownership of any of them.

**_Shuffle! Hope_**

The ticking of the clock echoed like footsteps in the quiet classroom. Each and every student's eye was focused on the clock, as it slowly ticked away. Summer break was just a minute away. Rin gripped the edge of his desk. Itsuki was sitting on the edge of his seat. Sia's eyes darted back and forth between the door and the front of the class, where Anthony stood, just staring at the class. Watanabe actually had his feet on his chair, had Rin seen him he would have been more cautious. The second hand continued to thunder throughout the classroom…

"I have an announcement!" Anthony yelled, his hands behind his back. He walked from behind his desk, opening the door. He smiled, "I want everyone to have a good summer break…"

Some of the students smiled, others looked surprise. Anthony's face than froze in seriousness.

"But the last person out of this room will write a twenty-five page report about what chemical procedures they will be experiencing during the summer. Due Friday"

"WHAT?!"

The bell rang, and they were off, Anthony's words ringing in their mind. Watanabe launched himself over Rin, his face slamming into his desk. As he landed, however, there was a pencil that was precariously placed in front of the doorway. The wall didn't see him coming. The door almost exploded from its hinges as the students flew out of the classroom, almost trampling each other.

Anthony began to walk out of the room, waving to Watanabe's embedded body, "Nabe-san, I'll see you in a week."

A painful voice answered him, "Y-Yes sensei…"

Outside the school, Mayumi stretched her arms to the sky, smiling and sighing a great sigh of relief, "Summer break! It couldn't have come soon enough!"

Itsuki bent down, glancing interestingly at Mayumi, "And it hasn't yet."

Mayumi's eyes furrowed, staring evilly at Itsuki, "No one asked you."

"Rin-kun, what do you got planned for this weekend?" Kaede asked as she walked by his side, Nerine and Sia on his other side.

"Um, actually Kaede-chan, I was just planning on just working and um…well, I can't lie to you, I'd like to spend some time alone Kaede-chan."

Kaede frowned, looking a little disappointed, "Oh…ok…"

Rin held his hand to his face, "Sorry Kaede-chan. Besides, we have all summer to spend time with each other."

This seemed to brighten Kaede up, as she smiled and nodded, "Uh-huh!"

"Kaede-chan!" a melodious voice called out. A shadow overcast the group as Kaede began to turn around.

Rin froze, time itself froze. A thousand thoughts ran through his mind.

"Kaede's going to be attacked! Who is it? Itsuki's in front of me, so who would be… no he wouldn't!"

Rin took a chance, with lightning speed he swung his bag behind him and felt it connect hard with a face. Watanabe's went flying in the other direction, a stream of blood trailing on the ground.

"Dammit! You can't just go around jumping on people like that, especially ones you don't know well!" Rin yelled at him, Watanabe didn't respond, his leg twitching.

Kaede laughed nervously, she had only met him a couple times but he was a very hands-on person. She was glad that Rin was there to protect her.

"Geez…" Rin said, "I can't wait till someone locks you up you lecher."

"Rin-kun, don't be angry just because he's accepted the beauty of the female body in a more open fashion than you have," Itsuki came in.

Rin smacked him alongside the head, "You stay out of this. Last thing this world needs is another you," Rin turned around, glad to get away from Watanabe. He stopped, as he saw a tall god with black hair and thin glasses, similar to Itsuki's except slightly rounder, as he leaned against the wall of the school gate, talking idly with Sia. From a distance, he could see Sia laughing and seeming to be very interested in what they were talking about. She looked over to where Rin and the others were standing, as she excitedly raised her hand and waved everyone over.

"Rin-san! Come here Rin-san!" As Rin began to walk over, he could have sworn the god scowled. But Rin passed it off…jealously perhaps?

"Hey. Sia-chan." Rin said as he walked up waving, "Who's this?"

"Rin-san, this is Gyouji Bernshaw. He's a senior in Nadeshiko's class, the art club's president, and he's from the Realm of the Gods," she turned to Gyouji," Gyouji-san, this is…"

"Yes…" he said, pushing his glasses up, stretching his hand out reluctantly, "Tsuchimi Rin, you're quite the talk of the school."

Rin wasn't use to such a greeting, but he grabbed Gyouji's hand and shook, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Same," he said. Rin could not help shake the feeling that something was wrong with this guy. "Sia-san," Gyouji said, breaking Rin's thoughts, "Perhaps we could walk to a nearby café and you can tell me a little bit about what you're planning on painting over break."

Sia thought for a second, "That sounds fine, just let…ah! That's right. Dad needs me to cook dinner for him tonight! Then I believe we're heading straight to the Realm of the Gods after that, he's so persistent about spending more time with me." She said, giggling at the last part.

"Oh, why is that Sia-chan?" Rin asked curiously, not noticing that referring to her as -chan upset Gyouji, "You live together, so why would he be so worried about that?"

Sia was startled, then laughed nervously, "Well, haha, it's because I'll be going off to college soon and…you know all that stuff…" is what she said. _"I can't tell him it's because my stupid dad thinks I'm going to get married to you soon," is what she thought._

"Very well then," he said, sounding disappointed, "At least allow me the honor of walking you home."

"Well…" Sia said, thinking aloud. Before she could finish her train of thought…

"Gyouji-san!" A yell came from behind them, on the other side of the street. Everyone looked past Gyouji to see a group of gods standing in front of the store across the street.

"Just a minute!" Gyouji yelled back, he turned around and looked at Sia, "Please ignore them, I made plans with them earlier but I'd much rather…"

"No!" she said forcibly, "You made a promise to them so you go hang out with them." She turned him around and started pushing him out of the gate.

After a short distance, Gyouji stopped resisting and faced Sia again, "I understand, I understand!" He bowed, "Have a good weekend Sia-san." And with that he was off, Sia waving politely.

"Bye bye! I'll see you over break!" She sighed, merrily turning around back to her friends, "Now then, Nerine-chan, Kaede-chan! Shall we go!"

"S-Sia-chan…" Nerine said worriedly, Sia looked at her with a confused look, "Um…I don't know how to say this but…" She looked at Sia, "Please be careful around that man."

"Eh?" Sia said in surprise, "What do you mean?"

Nerine blushed, feeling embarrassed, "Well…it's his attitude towards…people not from the Realm of Gods. He actively avoids them. Besides…his family…"

Sia smiled, "It's ok Nerine-chan! I'm sure he's just shy. As far as his family goes, they've retracted all statements from several years ago. They don't oppose the union anymore."

Rin and Kaede blinked simultaneously, Kaede speaking, "What do you mean oppose?"

Nerine looked back to her, pushing her hair back, "Well…you know how in this world, the human world, even though we live in relative peace in this city, there are many factions outside of here who are greatly against humans, demons, and gods living together. Some of it is fear, some of it is greed, some of it is a strong sense of individuality, but all of it is discriminatory, and in some cases even racist."

Rin thought about it, nodding, "You're right…there are many groups, especially in other parts of Japan and America, who don't like the idea of demons and gods living in this world."

Nerine agreed, "Well it's the same in our worlds as well," she looked at Sia, who was looking sad to hear about such things, "Neither of our races know why Kaimon happened, or what caused it…but despite our overall similarities…humans are humans, demons are demons, and gods are gods. And there are a lot of people who think it should stay that way." A distraught look overcame the group's faces, some showing a glint of curiosity, "Gods and demons have lived in peace for the most part because of our history together. This is still an infant development, what we're in right now. But I'm getting off track…."

Sia interrupted, "In the Realm of Gods, there is sort of, guess you can call it a hierarchical system. There's my father, who is the Lord. And under him are the services of well-reputed nobles and families, who each maintain a certain part of the government or land."

"Kind of like the Edo era?" Itsuki asked.

"Similar, but not exactly the same. Anyway, Gyouji, the Bernshaw's…they've been less than keen to the other races. When demons and gods first came into contact with each other, their ancestors were the leading opposition of trying to establish any relation between the two races. In short, they were a power behind the power of the Emperor. Years passed and they fell out of grace, and our two races have been in relative peace since then. But…eleven years ago…"

_Shin, dressed completely in Emperor garb, looked down at a piece of paper, standing in front of him was a god, dressed in an exquisite suit of armor, with long red hair, stood at attention. "What is this?" Shin asked._

_"Sir, it's an order to place a battalion of soldiers at the entrance of the Kaimon gates."_

_Shin looked gravely disturbed by this request, "And what purpose would they be there for?"_

_"Sir! To ensure that no humans trespass into our world and to crush any human force that would try to forcibly enter their way in here!"_

"…They did it again. Thankfully, my father was a caring man, and immediately stopped any resistance against the alliance of our races. A few years later, after much communication between our worlds, they realized the folly of their ways and apologized for all statements made."

Rin looked at Nerine when she finished, disturbed, then looked at Sia, "Is this true Sia-chan?"

Sia nodded, "For the most part. But like I said, they apologized for their statements and now backs the union of our races. Besides, even if there are members of the Bernshaw family that would oppose it, they do not represent the opinion of the family, nor of the other members. Gyouji being one of them."

"You're right Sia-chan…" Nerine said, looking depressed, "But still, I want you to be ok. Just please promise me you'll be extra careful."

Sia stared into Nerine's eyes, her eyes slightly shimmering, "Nerine-chan…"

Rin placed his bag behind his back, "Sia-chan," she looked at him, "I don't doubt your ability to trust other people, that's a beautiful quality in you. But…" _"Eleven years ago…he would have been five or six…eleven years is a long time to teach a child to hate"_ "I can't ask you not to trust him, but I can ask you to take extra care of yourself Sia."

Sia looked like she was about to cry she was so happy, such great friends. She wiped her eyes and looked up at Rin, "I will Rin-san. I promise. But you guy's don't have to worry about anything. He's really a nice guy, he's very sweet to me. He can be a little overbearing, but…Rin-san seems to know what that's like," she said smiling, and peeked behind Rin's back, "Huh…where'd he go?"

Some ways down the street, while Watanabe was far away from any recognizable classmates, he flipped out his phone and pressed a few buttons. He held his bag over his shoulder, as a faint ringing could be heard on the other end.

"Hello, yes this is, um, Ichigo. Yes, I need information on a Gyouji Bernshaw." He said into the receiver.

"…"

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, yes that Bernshaw. Send the information to my address. Bye." He shut the phone off, as he got closer to Gyouji and the group hanging around him. As he walked past an abandoned alley, three garbage cans placed next to it on the sidewalk, he stopped. He looked curiously into the alley, his head darting back and forth. "Yoo-hoo. Anyone in here?" No answer. He looked at Gyouji, then into the alley. He shrugged, and continued to follow the group.

Minutes later, Sia, Nerine, Kaede, and Primula were walking the same sidewalk, nearing the same alley. They talked about dinner plans for the coming weekend and plans for the whole summer, all four girls smiling and giggling at certain parts of the conversation. As they were about ten yards from the alley, a tall demon with long gray hair stiffly walked out of it. His face was slender and downright gorgeous, his broad shoulders seeming to encompass the entire width of the sidewalk. He wore a black suit, showing almost no other color at all, and in his hands he carried a large, thick cloth, almost like a coat. His other hand grabbed the belt of his pants, appearing as if he was holding his pants from slipping down. The four girls froze in their tracks as this giant walked by them giving them a quick glance, and then continuing past them. They all turned around, as they watched him walk away. People passed them on the street, uncaring, as they stood in frozen silence.

Nerine was the first to break the silence, "Who was that?"

**SCENE CHANGE**

"Come on Sia-chan!" Nerine yelled outside her house. It had been several days since school let out, and they were more than anxious to do what they had planned for today. Sia leaned far out the window, waving to Nerine.

"Just a minute! I'm almost ready!" She yelled, a big smile on her face.

Nerine pouted, she didn't want to wait any longer. It had been three days since they've seen or heard from Rin and she was getting lonely for him. Nerine fidgeted, she wore her best spaghetti shirt and tight-fitting pair of jeans for this occasion, and Sia was taking too long, she almost thought about leaving without her.

"I'm leaving without you!" Nerine yelled.

"Eyyaah! I'm coming out! I'm coming out!" The door to her house slid open and Sia bounced out, wearing a bright yellow summer dress, her cleavage exposed for the world to see. Shin stepped out as Sia trotted down the path to the road.

"Sia-chan! Don't you think that outfit is a bit inappropriate?!" He yelled. Sia looked back, she puffed out her cheeks in anger.

"Dad!"

Shin then motioned his right hand near his waistline and with his left hand imitated pulling down the collar of his shirt, "This is Rin-dono, Sia-chan! Fight with everything we got!" The lawn chair connected his forehead with precise accuracy.

Nerine blushed and held her head in her hands, Sia clenching a fist and the veins in that and her head bursting.

"Dad…." She growled angrily. She ran to Nerine's side and grabbed her hand, dragging her out to the street, "C'mon! C'mon let's go!"

"Not so hard Sia-chan!"

As they neared Rin's apartment, Sia placed her hands behind her head and stretched, groaning while she did, "Mmmm-ahh! I can't wait to see Rin-san! It's only been three days but it feels like forever!"

Nerine smiled and nodded, "I know, my heart still flutters every time I see him."

Sia smiled wide too, jumping at Nerine and wrapping her arms around her and tickling her sides, "That's not fair! Sia-chan loves Rin-san as much as Nerine-chan does!"

Nerine burst out with laughter as Sia's fingers found every sensitive spot on her stomach, "No-o-o-o! Sia-chan! Stopp it!"

Sia closed her eyes, continuing her assault on Nerine, "Give me Rin-san!"

Nerine couldn't stop laughing, "Eyahh! Never!" and with that, she pulled Sia's hands off of her and ran ahead of her, Sia puffing out her cheeks and running after her. They ran a good ways, laughing and drawing attention to themselves all the way to Rin's house. But they didn't care, they were in love with a man. A man who, even after nine years, made them the happiest in the world.

They stood outside Rin's building, looking up at it as they regained their breath.

"It's been a while since we've been here, hasn't it Sia-chan?" Nerine said. Sia nodded, indeed it has been a while since these two, since any of the girls, visited Rin. They used to visit a couple times a week after he moved in, but eventually that slowly devolved into a couple times a month, and by May they hardly ever visited him at all. That's not to say they never saw him, he was always there at school and, up until just a few weeks ago, was always happy to be around them. And every morning he would ride by their house to deliver their newspaper and it after school if he wasn't on a date with Asa he would find time to do something with everyone. Now that he felt better since a few weeks ago when Asa broke up with him, they could continue on their normal lives…and perhaps, as they both wished with all their hearts, lead a somewhat different life.

Sia looked at Nerine as they started walking up the stairs, "Hey Nerine-chan, why didn't Kaede or Primula come with us today?"

"Well…Primula came down with a summer cold yesterday, and Kaede was going to stay home and take care of her. She looked really upset though, I think she really wanted to come." Sia agreed, as they continued to walk up the stairs. "Hey Sia-chan…is it alright for us to be visiting Rin-sama like this? I mean, I think he still wants to be alone for a while. He…he really loved Asa-sempai, it's going to take him a while to get over her."

Sia thought about it, a saddened look crossing her face, "I know Rin-chan…it hurts, but first and foremost, we're his friends. We're his fiancée's second, there's still a chance that…that he might not fall in love either one of us." They stopped at the stairs, both of them looking each other in the eye, "But we can't be happy unless he's happy. Right?"

Nerine smiled, sniffing a bit to hold back her tears, "Yeah…"

"And as far as Rin-san is concerned, we're only going to be here for a short while. We have needs too!" She said triumphantly, raising her fist in the air. Nerine followed suit, as they walked to Rin's door and knocked on it.

**SCENE CHANGE**

Rin sat on his bed, surrounded by darkness. The only light came from the rims of his windows where the curtain couldn't reach. He stared up at the ceiling. It was times like this where the pain started to increase tenfold. He didn't know what it was that made it worse. The room, the loneliness, or maybe just that he has time to think about it. Whatever the reason, it only seemed to hurt more. He leaned his head back and covered his eyes with his hands, a small stream of tears running down his cheek.

What did I do? What could I have done better? Could I have done anything better? These were just a small amount of questions that ran through his mind. His breathing stifled, he was going to do it again today.

The knocking of his door woke him from his daze. Wondering who it could be, he waited on the bed.

"Geez, I'm in no mood to deal with him right now," he said to himself, wiping his eyes. He had been in his room for the last three days, it was only a matter of time before he would show up.

"Rin-sama! Are you home?!" A gentle voice called out to him. In a flash his eyes bolted open as he stumbled for the door, tripping over his kotatsu and landing hard on the floor.

"Ow…" he said, grabbing his shin.

"Rin-san! Are you ok?! Did you fall?!" Sia's voice chimed from the other side of the door.

"_Wha-Sia too?" _he thought.

"J-Just a minute!" He yelled out, rubbing his shin, he painfully got up and limped his way to the door. He realized that he'd been crying for the last couple hours, and quickly wiped his eyes, hoping he could pass it off as tears of pain. He opened the door, greeting them with a smile.

"Hello Rin-san(-sama)!" The two girls greeted him with a big smile.

"Hello Sia-chan, Nerine-chan. What brings you he-" he stopped, Nerine was mere inches from his face.

"Rin-sama…have you been…" she was about to finish before Rin jumped back, waving his arm.

"N-N-No! I just hit my leg on the table, that's all, really." Rin said defensively, quickly turning around and sympathetically hobbling to his bed, "So what brings you two here anyway, it's not like you to come without calling."

As Rin walked away, Sia and Nerine looked at each other worriedly, there was no fooling these two. Nerine then gave Sia a hard stare, looking straight into her eyes. Sia was confused for a moment, then her eyes brightened up, her mind connecting with Nerine's. She nodded, and Nerine, still looking serious, nodded back. They rushed in and Nerine pulled out the top drawer of Rin's dresser, immediately closing it, her face red.

"Eh-heh…wrong drawer…" And with that she continued to look through his clothes.

"Nerine-chan! What are you…oof!" As he was about to ask her what she was doing, Sia jumped on him, pinning him to the bed, "S-Sia-chan!"

"Rin-san!" She yelled, cradling his chest, Rin seeing right up to her striped panties, "We cannot allow you to spend another minute alone today!" Rin realized there was nothing he could do, as Nerine rushed back and forth looking for a pair of pants. He looked up again, and realized that Sia's round eyes had slanted, and she stared at him with a devilish look, "Of course, if you want US to be alone all you need to do is say the words…" she bent down, her chest rubbing against his face, "…and I can get her out of here."

"Nerine-chan!" he yelled, Nerine looked at Sia, or rather Kikyo, smothering Rin with her chest. Her face exploded with color…Rin's windows just exploded.

"Pretty obstinate aren't you?" a charred Kikyo asked Nerine, glaring at her. Nerine just glared back, until finally Sia's eyes returned to normal. She raised her fist and bopped her head, sticking out her tongue, "Sorry. Now then…" she stood up, Nerine and Sia looming over Rin. They through a mess of clothes on him, Sia pointing, "Get dressed, you're going on a date with us."

"Eh?!"

"No buts!" Nerine added. Rin sat in silence, his mouth gaping wide. Both of these women stared down at him with secret anticipation. There was no way he could get out of this…even if he wanted to. He bent his head down to conceal his smile.

"Alright alright…I'll get dressed." Immediately Sia and Nerine's face brightened up, each clasping the others hands, a slight squeal escaping their lips. "But…" he stood up furiously, "I'm not getting in dressed in front of you two!" He yelled, pointing at them. Startled, they ran out the door, Sia stopping right outside the door looking in. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Don't be long Rin-san!" And she disappeared behind the closed door. Rin stood there for a second, the clothes lying limply in his hands. He began to cry again…but for different reasons…and it felt good.

**SCENE CHANGE**

Nerine and Sia smiled as Rin emerged from the building, wearing traditional jeans and a T-shirt with a button downed shirt over top of that.

"You two sure are good at dressing yourselves," he noted, looking them over as they blushed, "But be sure never to pick an outfit for me again please," noting that his was not the clothing they had picked for him. Nerine blushed brighter, as Sia pointed at her grinning wide.

"Rin-san, she chose the clothes, not me, she's the one with bad taste."

"That's mean Sia-chan!" Nerine yelled, only getting more embarrassed, "Besides…if I'm to become Rin-sama's fiancée I need to be able to pick out an appropriate dress attire for when he wakes up for the morning to go for…" she stopped, realizing who was in her presence. But he just smiled at her, Sia and Nerine were going out of their way to make him feel better, and he already felt like he could take on the world. They could talk marriage up and down the street and he wouldn't be bothered by it in the least. Nerine smiled up at him.

"So…" he said, "What do you want to do today?"

"Well…" Sia said.

"We hadn't really planned on it," Nerine interrupted. A expression of shock came over Sia's face, Nerine just gave it away. She sighed.

"Yes Rin-san, this was kind of a last-minute thing," she said humbly.

"Well…" he said, scratching the back of his head, "How about we start with something simple?"

**SCENE CHANGE**

Sia and Nerine stared intensely into Flora menu, Rin sitting across from them smiling nervously. He knew what they were looking at…and the problem that would arise.

Love Love Tropical Juice, where one "chuu's" it together with their partner…a drink made for two…split among three.

"Hey…Rin-chan…" Sia whispered nervously.

"Yes…Sia-chan…" Nerine answered nervously.

"What are we going to do…?" They both whispered simultaneously.

"Um…" Rin said, hoping they'd hear him, they didn't.

"Should we split it between us?" Sia said.

"But you're supposed to split it between two people," Nerine said.

"Should we decide who drinks it with Rin-san," Sia said.

"But…that's not very fair to the one who doesn't get to," Nerine said.

"I know…" Sia said.

"_I wonder if they realize I can hear every word they say."_ Rin thought

The waitress walked up to their table, a tiny purpled-hair girl wearing the same Anna-Miller-esque outfit that men loved to watch, "Are you ready to order?" She said with a large smile.

"No!" Sia and Nerine yelled. They both looked at the waitress, who began to sweat, then at Rin.

"Rin-san!" Sia yelled, pointing to the Love Love Tropical Juice, "If we get this…!"

"Who will you split this with?!" Nerine said, finishing Sia's sentence.

"Well…" Rin said nervously, scratching his head, he knew there was a right answer to this somewhere, "Isn't it obvious?" Sia and Nerine shook their heads, "I'll split it with both of you."

Sia and Nerine blushed, it was almost obvious the way he said it. Their heads snapped at the waitress, both of them pointing to the giant drink in the middle of the menu.

"We'll take this!"

The waitress continued to sweat profusely, "Y-Yes…of course…."

The drink could not have come any sooner for Rin. For Nerine and Sia it took forever. The drink must have sat on the tabletop untouched for a good two minutes, the three of them staring intently at it. A drop of sweat ran down Rin's cheek.

"So uh…who's, going to take the first sip?" He asked, gulping.

Sia and Nerine gulped too, this was proving to be more difficult than originally thought. Nerine grabbed the straw, making the first move. She slowly put her lips on the straw and gently sucked in. Sia looked at her in distraught, Nerine had made the first move.

"Mmm! It's delicious!" She said suddenly. She took the straw again and began to sip some more of the drink.

Rin sighed a breath of relief, he was glad somebody broke the silence. He reached out as well and took a big sip of the drink as well.

"You're right this is good!" He exclaimed, looking up to realize that Nerine had a large blush across her face. Her lips began to pucker about to form a word. The Love Love Tropical Juice is commonly referred to by the store its customers as…

"Chuu…" Nerine said softly. Rin gasped and pulled back, his face as red as hers. Nerine held her face, looking down at the ground. Rin looked at every possible angle at the store, trying to overcome the awkwardness. Sia pouted.

"No fair!" She yelled, waving her arms in the air, "Rin-san no fair! You have to 'chuu' with me too!" Referring to it as 'chuuing' only made Rin blush more, as Sia took in a deep breath and began to drink from the second straw on her side of the glass. She looked up at Rin, the corners of her mouth forming a smile. She closed her eyes and giggled, Rin still blushing. He bent down, looked the other way and putting the straw into his mouth and sucking. He and Sia held it for a lot longer than he and Nerine, finally pulling apart after a good ten to fifteen seconds of drinking.

"Gyahh!" Sia squealed, "I 'chuued' with Rin-san!"

Rin smiled, using his hands to motion to lower her voice, "Shh! Not so loud Sia-chan."

"Rin-chan, your turn." Sia said, smiling at Nerine. Nerine shifted her shoulders, feeling embarrassed about ruining the moment last time, until Sia spoke up again, "Unless you want me to take your turn."

Nerine gasped, quickly placing her lips to her straw again and drinking, Rin already knew he was going to be in for a long and enjoyable day.

**SCENE CHANGE**

Rin, Nerine, and Sia walked down the street, having leaving Flora several minutes earlier. The rest of the drink had been pretty eventful, Sia and Nerine practically pushing each other when it was their turn. Rin figured he had drank more than half of the drink himself, and felt like he was going to explode. But near the end, all three were sharing at the same time, laughing about school and Shin's crazy attempts to woo Rin for his daughter. Back on the street, Rin continued to laugh with Sia and Nerine, who stood on opposite sides of him.

"I'm glad that didn't turn out to be awkward the entire drink," Rin said, attempting to make a joke.

"Mm! We should just relax like we did near the end the rest of the day," Sia said, reaching out and grabbing Rin's arm, "Right Rin-chan?"

"S-Sia-chan!" Nerine yelled, following in suit. Rin just laughed nervously, these girls have completely forgotten about Rin's earlier request, not that it mattered, he was among two of his greatest and dearest friends in the world, loving them, although not quite the way they imagined it, was something he was more than happy to do.

"Hey I know," Nerine said, "Let's go do some karaoke!"

"That sounds like fun, what do you think Sia-chan?" Rin said, looking at Sia who had her face turned away from them.

"Oh um…sure sounds great." Sia said, thinking something completely different.

"_Damn" she thought, "If it was just me and Rin-san we'd have already been at the karaoke, but…"_ she looked at Nerine who was talking ecstatically to Rin, _"I can't compete with her at karaoke." _Tears began streaming down her face that she hid from them, _"I'm doomed…"_

The three stopped at the door, a "Closed" sign hanging off the glass. Nerine looked immediately disappointed, Sia faking hers, smiling on the inside.

"What do we do now…?" Nerine asked, sounding immensely depressed. Sia felt a pang of guilt and looked at Nerine, who was looking down into the ground. Sia sighed.

"It's ok Rin-chan!" She said enthusiastically, grabbing hold of her hands, "I know of another karaoke place. It'll take us a while to get there and we'll have to take the train, but it's a really great bar with lots of songs!"

Nerine's eyes widened with joy, "Really?! Is that ok Rin-sama?"

Rin nodded, "Of course, there's still plenty of day left, and if I'm thinking of the same karaoke place you are Sia-chan, we'll have plenty of time to go there and get dinner."

"You've been there before Rin-san?" Sia asked.

"Yes, with Asa-san…" he stopped in mid-sentence. He'd been having such a good time that he almost forgot about her. Was that a bad thing? A frown came over his face as he stared off into nowhere. Then he felt a large pinch on his right cheek.

"No frowning," Nerine said as she continued to pinch his cheek, "Today you're not allowed to frown, you have to be smiling and happy as long as you're around us." She let go after she finished, Rin rubbing his cheek in pain.

"Ok Rin-chan, I understand, I never knew you were so violent," he said laughing, Nerine pouted.

"That's not nice Rin-sama!" She said, trying to contain her laughter. Her and Rin began to walk away, laughing, as Sia stood on the stairs leading into the closed karaoke bar, her hand on her hip.

"_Rin-chan sure has changed since I first met her," _Sia thought, thinking back to when they had met years before through their fathers. They were immediately friends even though they both harbored strong feelings for Rin. _"She's stronger, more courageous around Rin-san, and so social at school."_ She sighed, _"Alright! That just means to win Rin's heart I'm going to have to do better than my best! Just watch me Rin-san!"_ She clenched her fist. She was going to give it all she got, and Rin was going to fall in love with her. Even if it meant she was going to have to share him, she would have Rin fall in love with her. Her round eyes slanted, a devious look coming over her face. She wasn't alone either. She sprinted to Rin and Nerine, grabbing Rin by the arm and dragging him away from her. Nerine yelled in surprise, and chased after them, Sia laughing the entire way.

**SCENE CHANGE**

Watanabe leaned against his door, a large stack of papers in his hands. He read over each line word for word, a serious look on his face. He switched pages, placing the last one behind the rest and continued reading. He tapped his foot on the ground.

"Bye Rin-san! I'll talk to you later and tell you when we're going to the beach!" Sia's voice chimed from downstairs. Watanabe looked up and started rustling through his pockets for his keys.

"Bye Rin-sama! Father says you're allowed over at our house anytime," Nerine yelled back. Watanabe could hear footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Haha! I'll take him up on his offer soon!" Rin yelled back.

"My father misses you too Rin-san! He won't stop moping around the house!" Sia's voice came up.

"Bye Rin-chan! Bye Sia-chan!" Rin yelled down to them, in full view of Watanabe.

"Bye bye!"

Rin walked down to his room, glancing up at Watanabe, "Oh. Hey there. Haven't seen you in a couple days?"

"Mm-hmm…" Watanabe grunted, his mind elsewhere. He looked up and towards Rin, who had already found his key. Watanabe turned the knob of his door after inserting the key, "You look like you had a good day."

A big smile appeared on Rin's face, "Yeah…Nerine-chan and Sia-chan came from nowhere and dragged me all over the city today. It feels like forever since I had so much fun. We went to the Flora café, then to karaoke but the one near here was closed, so we had to take a train to another karaoke bar. The bar was a scoring bar, so we all had a contest. I lost of course, with a fifty-one. Sia did well with a seventy-five but Nerine got a ninety-one, there really was no contest. Anyway, I ended up paying for dinner and we just walked around looking to see if there's anything we could…" he stopped, feeling embarrassed, "Sorry Nabe-kun, I seemed to have been rambling, I hope I didn't…" he stopped again. Watanabe was staring at him, smiling. Sure, he's smiled before, he smiles all the time but not like this. A gentle smile, no signs of hidden meanings or scheming, almost…warm.

"That sounds…fun…Rin-san." He said, continuing to smile. His eyes bolted open, and coughed, turning the other way, "So um, I'll see you later. I'm tired, so I'm heading to bed."

Rin blinked, he was still a bit flustered about his smile, "Sure, sounds good. Hey, what're those papers in your hand?"

"Nothing," Watanabe said quickly, hiding them. With his face still turned away from Rin, he took a step into the doorway, and stopped, "Hey…Rin-san…" Rin grunted, acknowledging his question, "Could you call me Nabe again? Not many people call me that so…"

"Yeah sure." Rin said. A smile came over Watanabe's face.

"Thanks. Later." And with that he stepped inside and closed the door.

Inside his room, he leaned against the door, the pamphlet of papers on the counter next to him. He rubbed the temples of his forehead, closing his eyes in stress, "What's wrong with me?" He stood there for a second, before shaking his head, then slapping his face. He picked up the papers again, flipping through the pages quickly before finding the one he wanted.

"Gyouji Bernshaw…" he muttered, as he pulled an apple out of the refrigerator, "Fifth generation, father Shoji Bernshaw, mother Kaori Bernshaw, junior to a half-sister and oldest of three sons. Was a gifted artist since the time he could pick up a pencil, son of a military family so he's trained in hand-to-hand combat." He flips the page over, raising his eyebrows, "Black belt in Muay Thai, kid's not bad. Let's see, let's see…was ranked fourth in his class before transferring blah blah blah….ah here we go." He sat down on his bed, crossing his legs and taking a bite of the apple, "Pictures of our little god personally attending his fathers speeches for the destruction of the Kaimon Gate." He held up several pictures to the light, the younger face of Gyouji hiding behind his father as he stands a podium. "Father died of natural causes whn Gyouji was elevn, and being too young to claim responsibility of the Bernshaw House his uncle took over. Immediately after that the Bernshaw family retracted all statements the last Head publicly announced," a big grin ran over his face, "I bet our little Gyouji was pissed." Watanabe quickly turned around, lying on his stomach and spreading the papers over the bed further, "But here's where things get interesting. As the Bernshaw family is one of the top heads of the God's nobility they are immediately inclined to present their eldest son or daughter on an omiai to the son or daughter of the Lord of the Gods. But! When the time for had come for the Princess of the Gods to begin her appointed meetings with the sons of the heads of the God's four years ago, without even looking at other possibilities, the Lord of the Gods announced that his daughter was bethroed to be married. Bethroed to a human that she had met four years earlier while her father was on a peace mission to the Realm of Humans. 'My daughter's happiness comes first!' he exclaimed to the Gods. 'I have done research on this Tsuchimi Rin and he is more than acceptable to be the husband of my beloved Lisianthus!' Amazingly, all heads of the family humbly accepted this offer, even the ones whose sons awaited an omiai with Lisianthus. They knew right away the Princess of the Gods was in love, even at such a young age and none of them were cruel to try and prevent that. But…almost immediately after this announcement Gyouji was suddenly transferred to the infant Verbena school that promoted the cohabitation of humans, gods, and demons. Since then his grades have plummeted and even disappeared from sight for a matter of months for bad behavior." The grin widened on his face, "Now the question is…did he forge his mother's signature or did he not need to?"

**SCENE CHANGE**

As the sun began to set on a outside café, a black-haired god sat, his glasses sliding smoothly down his nose, only to be pushed back up. He leaned back in his seat, a phone placed to his ear.

"These stupid humans are good for something," He said into the phone, "Their perversity has given me an idea on how to control this whole situation."

"**What are you going to do Gyouji-sama?"** A male voice asked him over the phone.

"All in due time. Right now we have to bide our time a little longer. It was easy to stroke her highness' pathetic ego to join the Art Club, it was mere luck that that disgusting human Tsuchimi would be dumped by that filthy half-demon and he would sink into depression. Too bad he didn't kill himself."

"**If I may Gyouji-sama?"**

"Go ahead."

"**Why did you wait three years before making your move on Tsuchimi Rin?"**

"For starters, I could live the rest of my life without having to touch that piece of filth. My original plan as deigned around the downfall of Tsucimi Rin, but every time I saw him I wanted to puke. Temper runs short in my family, hard to believe, but I couldn't afford to blow my cover by beating the living hell out of that human. The other thing is that I needed an alibi. That's where you and the others come in Nagatsuki-san. I trust you all are up to the task."

"**Gyouji-sama, if you're thinking what I think you are, then I personally implore you to let me be first." **They both chuckled.

"Very well then, it's settled." He looked up, across the street was Sia and Nerine happily walking home together, "I can't stand them, any of them. Once I'm Lord of the Gods there won't be any reason for such trivial matters as 'peace talks' or 'compromises'. We're Gods, and we'll take our place in this world, in all worlds, as our name suggests." And with that he turned off the phone. He set his chair down, and turned his head to a tall demon that was looming near the edge of the café. "So stranger, you enjoy listening in on other people's conversations?"

The demon didn't say anything. His long gray hair blowing in the wind. He stared at Gyouji, his face giving off no emotion whatsoever. The two just stared at each other.

**END**

I still need an answer related to the mom question from Chapter 3, so please if you have any clue as to their whereabouts I'll be ecstatic to know about them. Please leave reviews for any reasons if you will, I enjoy reading what people have to think about my stories.

I would also like to apologize for a few things. First of all, I've been making Primula fairly non-emotional the last couple chapters even though she is able to feel now. When she appears further in the story she will be more emotional. Second thing, was that I gave the impression that Rin's apartment's door led directly outside. Upon review of his apartment in the story, it actually leads towards a hall. I tried to incorporate that halfway through this chapter, and I will remember so from now on. If there is any other small detail that I am forgetting or I am rewriting incorrectly, please let me know. I look forward to your comments.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: _Shuffle!_ and all original characters therein are property of outside companies, and I claim no ownership of them

_**Shuffle! Hope**_

Primula looked over the grocery list that Kaede had given her earlier in the day. Under Kaede's tutorage Primula was well on her way to becoming a good cook. She had learned that her desire for bitter foods was not shared amongst her friends and eventually had to resort to more traditional cooking methods. She looked in her grocery basket, than back at the list.

"Eggs…rice …mild curry…kezuri-bushi…" she muttered, looking over her list once more, "all that's left is beef."

She walked down a couple aisles, looking over each and every section for the frozen foods. She smiled when she saw it, and she rushed over to it, standing beside a tall demon. She didn't notice him as she scanned over the meats for something fairly inexpensive but in good quantity. There was a gap in the packages, she noticed, as she looked up to see Watanabe holding a package of beef, a good price with good proportions. The bubble of gum he was blowing popped as he looked at her.

"Primula…chan…right?" He asked. She nodded, he didn't know much about him…except that he was supposed to be similar to Itsuki. His eyes sparkled, grabbing her hand with both of his and shaking furiously, "It's a pleasure to meet you Primula-chan!"

Her eye twitched, he was EXACTLY like Itsuki. A huge smile across his face as he continued to shake her hand. In the back of her mind, she secretly began to countdown. Watanabe was talking but she didn't pay much attention.

"_Primula-chan! You can't use your magic in public unless it's an absolute emergency!" Kaede yelled at her_.

Primula sighed, "_Sorry Kaede."_

She heard her clock tick to three, "Rin-kun has told me so much about you! He's always saying how cute you are and how much he enjoys being around you!" Her clocked stopped, the color of her face boiling up like a thermometer.

"R-Rin said that…?" She asked. Watanabe nodded. He gave Primula the package of beef he had picked up earlier and patted her on the head, in an instant the sweet smile and red face changed to a scowling terror, one that Watanabe didn't see.

"Take it, I'll just get something more expensive," he said, rubbing his nose. Primula noticed that it was twitching, his nose that is. He bent down and grabbed two large baskets full of groceries and with a pathetic grunt lifted the heavy baskets, wobbling as he walked down the aisle. Primula looked at the package he gave her then reluctantly accepted it, walking away from him. Watanabe laughed to himself.

"You don't be more careful Nabe-chan you're going to end up dead."

-----------------

"_Damn!"_ Rin thought to himself as he peddled down the early morning road, being drenched in the early morning rain. _"It figures when the rainy season ends the rain continues to pour down!"_ He stopped under an awning of a store. It wasn't dry by much, but certainly a lot better than stepping out into the storm outside. He pulled down his poncho, breathing heavily.

"Damn…I still got a good ways to go before my route is finished." He grumbled, leaning against the bars of the bicycle, deciding to wait a couple minutes before heading out again, "Maybe I should get a new job."

The rain didn't let much, more than five minutes and Rin would have been behind schedule. He hiked up his poncho over his head and sighed, pushing off the sidewalk and biking along his path, his papers bundled nice and tight in a plastic bag.

Kaede looked down the road, an umbrella in her hand and a bento box in her other hand. She bundled in her coat as she waited for Rin.

"He's late today…" she said, sighing, "His breakfast is getting cold." She looked down the road again, her face perking up as she saw Rin biking closer to her. He threw a plastic wrapped paper in Nerine's mailbox and continued down to Kaede's house. She stepped back a little, feeling embarrassed. He stopped when he saw her face sticking out past the gate.

"Kaede-chan…?" he said. She heard him call her name and she bounded out to him, holding out her umbrella over his head and scooting in close to him.

"Good morning Rin-kun," she said smiling, holding out the box to Rin, "I made you breakfast."

Rin scowled, "Kaede-chan. You're going to catch a cold out here, or worse!" Kaede stepped back, her shoulder being uncovered by the umbrella. She felt embarrassed and ashamed, looking down at the ground, frowning. Rin sighed, and grabbed her arm, pulling her right next to him, wrapping his arm around her. Her face lit up with color as she stared up at him, who was smiling, "I'm sorry I got upset, I just don't want you to get sick. You always get sick when you stand out in the rain like this. Now…" he gently grabbed the food she made for him, opened up the box it was contained in, and with a pair of chopsticks she gave him began to scarf down the meal.

Kaede smiled warmly, slowly getting closer to Rin so he wouldn't notice, gripping his wet poncho. She looked up at him, "Rin-kun! Don't eat so fast, you'll choke." As if on cue, a lump of food caught in his throat, his eyes puffing out as he smacked his chest to dislodge the food. Kaede was so close she could have sworn she heard it splash.

He gasped, breathing in heavily, then he looked at her and said, "I'm sorry Kaede-chan, but I'm running late enough as it is, I need to eat your food fast or I'll get in trouble." With that, he continued to speed eat what was left of the food. Kaede didn't like him eating so fast, but at least he was eating her food. When he finished, he smacked his lips and exhaled greatly, "Whoo! That was delicious Kaede-chan!"

She smiled, "You ate it so fast I doubt you could taste it."

He gave her the box and chopsticks, "Even if that were true, all the food you make is delicious so it's a given without me even saying it." She blushed, her eyes shimmering as she looked up at him. She was so happy she felt like she could die. "Well then," he said, hopping back on his bike, "I have to get going Kaede-chan. I'll see you later ok." He pushed off, leaving a newspaper with Kaede before heading off to Sia's house.

"Bye Rin-kun! Have a good day!" She yelled waving. Placing her hand to her heart, she sighed longingly, then quickly ran back inside to her warm house.

-------------------

Rin slammed the door to his apartment opened, an exhausted look written all over the bags in his eyes. He used to like rainy days, at his worst was indifferent about them. They were different than the normal sunny says, and as much as he loved beautiful sunny days, he liked the rainy ones just as well. But he hated them now. He hated riding miles in them, having to wrap up his papers tightly in waterproof bags, putting on his poncho even though it never really kept him truly dry. He always ended up feeling cold, wet, and exhausted. He clambered to his bed, letting his wet clothes stay where they fell. The bed looked so warm and comforting, he would sleep for a week. The covers hovered in mid-air as Rin through them up. He curled up in his bed, almost pulling his knees to his chest. His eyes rolled back into his head, this was so warm. His eyes slowly began to shut, the room slowly getting darker and darker.

"RIN-KUN!" A loud voice called to him from outside his door. Rin's bloodshot eyes bolted open, "RIN-KUN!"

Rin threw the cover over his head, mumbling, "Go away…." Watanabe didn't hear him he figured, but maybe if he kept quiet he would go away. There was silence for a couple seconds, as Rin began to drift off.

"RIN-KUN! RIN-KUN! RIN-KUN! RIN-KUN! RIN-KUN! RIN-KUN! RIN-KUN! RIN-KUN! RIN-KUN! RIN-KUN! RIN-KUN!" Watanabe yelled, banging on the door wildly, using both hands and a foot. He continued to yell his name and bang the door, until he heard the tumbler of the lock turn and the knob slowly began to turn. His face brightened up, as the door began to open. "Rin-kun! Want to get break-" An arm reached from the depths of the darkness and grabbed his collar, his face shrinking back in terror.

Minutes later, the mother a couple doors down walked by with her son holding her hand. They pass the lifeless body of Watanabe, his face near indistinguishable.

"Mama, what's wrong with that man?" Jin asked, pausing for a bit to look at him. His mother tugged, forcing him to keep up with her.

"Just follow me Jin-kun."

-------------------------

Later in the day, the rain had from a downpour to just a drizzle. Still, if Kaede had walked from her house all the way to Rin's apartment without an umbrella she would have been soaked. In her other hand was a bag of groceries, she hadn't made lunch for him in a while and as much as she tried to tell herself that was the reason she was seeing him today, she fooled no one. As she entered the door leading up to his apartment she shook the excess water off the umbrella and started up the stairs. As she rounded the corner leading down Rin's hallway, she noticed a faint streak of dried blood running from in front of Rin's door into a room down the hallway, tiny sweatdrops formed on her head. She walked to the door, bag of groceries in hand and stopped, looking down at the ground. This was the first time she would be alone with Rin in his apartment, considering he was there. She gripped the bag of groceries tight, and gently knocked on the door.

"Rin-kun! Are you home?"

There was silence for a moment, Kaede beginning to feel a little discouraged.

"Coming…" a frail voice called out to her. She smiled, taking a step forward, anxiously waiting for the door to open. From the other side Kaede could hear the rustling of drawers and the shuffling of footsteps. The door opened slowly, and Rin stood over Kaede, a napkin over his mouth, his hair mussed up and a pale face. "H-Hey Kaede-chan…" he said wearily.

"Rin-kun!" She yelled in surprise, "Are you all right?!"

Rin coughed, which startled Kaede, "I…just got a bit of a cold Kaede-chan…" he said wearily, coughing again. Kaede stretched out her hand, then immediately pulled it back, unsure of what to do. "I…wish I could be more company today, but as it turns out…" he hacked more harshly, "I can hardly take care of myself now…so…" Rin felt faint, as his legs swayed under his weight and he almost dropped to his knees, coughing more. Kaede rushed to him, wrapping her arm around his neck and helping him up. They stumbled over to his bed, as she let him sit on the bed, pulling the covers up so he may lie down.

"You rest here, I'm going to make you something to eat."

Rin reached out, grabbing onto Kaede's hand, "No…its ok Kaede…I just need a day's rest and I'll be…"

"I won't stand it!" She yelled suddenly, Rin opening his eyes to look at her.

"Kaede-chan…"

She walked over to his kitchen, laying her groceries out on the counter, "You just said yourself Rin-kun that you can hardly take care of myself. As long as I'm here, you're going to get a good meal, and I'm going to treat you well." Kaede smiled at him, Rin's pale face beginning to regain some color, especially around the cheeks. He laid his head on his pillow, as he heard the clanking and clattering of the many one or two cooking pots he had, along with the melodious sound of Kaede's own voice, humming a tune that was unrecognizable to Rin.

Kaede sat down next to Rin, having completed a small portion of the meal she had planned to make for him. She reached over to the tray she had set down, grabbing a cup filled with a creamy, yellowish liquid.

"Here, Rin-kun," she said, holding out the cup to Rin. He sat up, cupping it with his hands and looking into it.

"Tamagozake?" He asked. Kaede nodded.

"And I got some cold medicine too. I decided to mix modern and traditional," Kaede said, giggling, "I just hope they mix well."

Rin, rubbed the cup, "I'm sure with this, Kaede, I'll get better in no time." He put the cup to his mouth, slowly drinking the tamagozake. He pulled it away, exhaling exquisitely, "Just like I said, everything you make is delicious Kaede."

She took the cup away from Rin, handing him a folded envelope and a glass of water, "Here you go." Rin folded the paper, swallowing the medicine and immediately following up with a large swig of water.

"Ahhh…smooth," he said in jest, chuckling, but that only caused him to cough harshly. He felt Kaede's hands against his chest, as he continued to cough and he lay down on his bed. "Ugh…" he muttered after his coughing stopped. Kaede dipped a rag into a bowl of water.

"You should take it easy Rin-kun," she said, placing the wet towel over his head, "You don't want to make your cold even worse."

"Yeah…you're right…" he slightly moved his head, so his eyes could meet Kaede's "Usually it's me who has to take care of you. You were always so fragile, the least stuffiest nose always became a battle of survival for you."

"That's not nice Rin-kun."

He smiled, "Sorry, but in all honesty, you don't have to do this for you." Kaede shook her head in protest.

"No…I…enjoy being of use for you Rin-kun…" she placed her hand to her chest, slightly blushing as she smiled at Rin. Rin could only stare back at her, for the longest time he always remembered her saying it was her only joy in life. He could tell she thought about saying that, but she doesn't feel that way anymore, she's a stronger person now and was becoming stronger by the day. She got up, walking to the kitchen, Rin pulling down the rag to cover his eyes.

"I don't deserve this…" he muttered.

"Did you say something?" Kaede asked as she walked back to his bedside, sitting down again.

The rag that was covering his eyes was lifted up, a worried Kaede looking down on Rin, "Nope, didn't say a thing."

"Would you like some tea Rin-kun?"

"Sure."

Steaming tea poured into another cup on the tray with Kaede's remedies, Kaede setting down the kettle and picking up the cup.

"Turn your head to me Rin-kun," she said as she placed her hand under the cup. Rin's eyes darted from the ceiling, to Kaede, and back to the ceiling. Slowly his head turned to where Kaede could pour the tea safely into his mouth. It went down smoothly, other than Rin trying hard not to choke on the tea. Leaning back, he sighed as his body began to relax, now that Kaede was here, he felt relieved.

They sat in silence for several minutes as Kaede collected her thoughts. The heavy breathing of Rin was…comforting for her. It reminded her of how he used to live at her house, how happy they used to be….

"_No Kaede!"_ she told herself. They were happy now, at least Rin was. Kaede missed Rin, she missed him with all her heart. As long as it didn't hurt Rin in any way, she would have given anything to have him back there. But Rin was right, it was time for her to take care of herself and to start living. She had done her part, she was living almost fully for herself now. Deep down inside though, burned the intense feeling of wanting to care for him forever. Right now she couldn't do that…but maybe…

Kaede blushed and turned away from Rin, smiling ever so slightly. Right now she couldn't do that…but maybe if she was his wife…

"Kaede-chan…" Rin's voice rang in her ear. Startled, she turned around to stare him in the face, "Is something bothering you, Kaede-chan?"

Kaede scratched her chin, smiling nervously, "Um…not really, I was just thinking how nice it is to be so close to you." Rin smiled, he enjoyed hearing her talk like that. But Kaede was lost in thought, there was something that had been bothering her…it had been bothering everyone._ "I can't ask that"_ she thought, _"That's inexcusable!"_ Her hands trembled as they clenched her skirt, unbelieving about what she was about to ask.

"Rin-san…" she muttered, "I…I want to ask you something but…" She paused, feeling like she was going to die, "…but I'm afraid of how you're going to take it…."

"Kaede-chan…"

"SO! So promise me…promise me that you won't hate me for…for asking such a selfish question…please promise me that."

Rin stared at Kaede, who couldn't bear to look him in the eyes. He blinked, unsure at first at what she was talking about, what could possibly be such a selfish question that Kaede would ask him not to hate…

It hit him hard. He felt his entire heart shrink, that overwhelming urge to run away was taking control of him. Don't hate her, don't hate her Rin, she cares about you…loves you…she just wants to know. Tell her you're sorry, that you're not ready to talk about it now…

No.

Kaede felt like she was about to cry, Rin was beginning to hate her, she just knew it. She opened her mouth to speak, telling him to forget about it, it's not worth it. It's just not worth it for Rin to hate her…

"Asa…began to grow distant near the end of May. The straightforward answer, to your question Kaede-chan…I really don't know. And that's what hurt me the most, which is why I couldn't talk to anyone for so long. She called me one day near the middle of June, about four weeks ago…she said she couldn't see me anymore. She said she was torn, so I can only assume that she meant she was torn between someone else. But it was so vague it could have meant anything. I…I could almost feel it coming. The last time I talked to her…when she broke up with me…I did everything I could to stall, stall for more time. I interrupted her, I got angry, I almost even cried to her over the phone, isn't that pathetic?" He waited for her to say something, she didn't, realizing his attempt at humor failed he continued, "About a month before we broke up she told me that no matter what she will always love me, so I'm pretty sure that something has been weighing on her mind for a while. What specifically happened…that I don't know, it could have been any number of things."

A warm feeling enveloped Rin's hand, it was Kaede's hand. Leaning back to hide his eyes under the cloth, he gripped her hand tightly.

"What she did…was wrong Rin-kun. After all the time you spent together…"

"No," Rin interrupted, "The only thing wrong was that she didn't have the courage to tell it to my face, she had to do it over the telephone. And even then…I can understand how she felt."

"But Rin-kun…" a strand of hair fell in front of her face, Rin reached out with his hand and brushed it behind her ear, smiling sweetly at her. Kaede's heart started to pound.

"I appreciate what you're doing Kaede-chan…but what happened was no one's fault. Asa-san…for some reason I guess she couldn't be with me anymore." Rin played that line over his head again, knowing he heard it somewhere before, "If you want my honest answer…what I truly believe happened…I think it was me."

"Rin-kun don't say…!"

"I didn't mean it like that. I've given it a lot of thought. I believe there were actually a lot of things that pressured Asa, but I think there was something in me, in myself, that she couldn't bring to love. I'm not certain however, and I don't feel bad about it…that much anyway," sighing, he pushed the towel out of his eyes, "I hated myself for a long time after that, thinking if I had been different in this way or that, we'd still be together…but looking back there is nothing about myself that I don't like, or at least anything I'd change. If Asa-san…if anyone is going to love me, they're going to love all of me…who I am…who my friends are…who I love…."

"_I love you like that!"_ screaming in her mind. _"All those things…that's what I love most about you!"_ Heart beating out of her chest, she felt her mind go blank. There he was in front of her, hurt, vulnerable…she didn't want to catch him on the rebound but she couldn't remember a time where she loved him more than she did now! Kaede reached her other hand out, grabbing onto his with both of her hands and started to bring it closer to her. Even an inch away from her chest, Rin could feel how hard her chest was beating, how hot her body was becoming. _"Feel my heart Rin-kun…how much it longs for you"_ she thought, bringing his hand right between her breasts. He could have touched her if he wanted to, and deep down Kaede wanted him to. But he didn't, his hand just being cradled between Kaede's arms and chest.

Rin's own heart began to beat harder, realizing how beautiful Kaede was. Her hair had fallen in front of her face, slowly looking up from the ground he could see her eyes stare at him. He heard the shuffling of her legs as she brought his arm closer to her, enveloping his whole wrist. She wouldn't let go of his hand for anything no matter how difficult it was to see him. Rin saw her head slowly move forward, past his elbow and hovering over his bed. She closed her eyes, pressing her lips together, gently moistening them. Rin was purely captivated at Kaede…the last four weeks had been so lonely…he closed his eyes and slowly moved towards her as well…

The egg timer rang with exceptional loudness, scaring the living hell out of Kaede as she jumped back from Rin's bed, almost snapping her neck as she turned to look back at the kitchen. Panting heavily, her heart in her throat, she looked back to Rin who had turned his head away from her in the sudden shock. Although immensely disappointed and extremely bad at hiding it, Kaede thought that this was for the better. Walking over to the kitchen, she thought to himself, _"I want him to love me with all his heart…not just some of it."_

Rin could hear Kaede as she fussed about the kitchen, preparing his meal. His heart had yet to stop and Kaede was so closed. His final thoughts before he was about to kiss Kaede made him realize that he could not under any circumstances do that to her. Rin's own feelings for Kaede were still unresolved, and that wasn't even in the issue at the moment. He thought about what Kaede meant to him, but only for a brief second. _"I still have some healing, and growing to do before that."_

"Rin-kun…" Kaede's voice called to him, he turned around and looked up at her smiling face, "Are you hungry?"

Rin lay there for a minute, looking up at Kaede's warm face and gentle nature, hoping there might be some answers hidden among her delicate features. He smiled.

"_No…I'm still lost in the woods…"_ He smiled and nodded at her, who cocked her head and giggled. She sat down beside him, grabbing a plate of yakizakana and holding it close to his face.

**yakizakana - flame-grilled fish, often served with grated daikon One of the most common dishes served at home**

"Say ahhhhn"

"Ahhhn!" and with a gulp Rin swallowed the piece of fish, chewing happily. In the back of his mind he saw Sia, Primula, Nerine, and Kaede standing…waiting for him…smiling beautifully at him.

"_I'm lost…but I'm not alone."_

The meal couldn't have been more delicious if God had cooked it himself…then Rin realized that a lot of things could have been better than that.

-----------------------

The weather had considerably cleared up that day, the clouds dispersing to different sides of the country. It was almost amazing how beautiful the day was, considering mere hours before the day was so dark and dreary. Couples shared 'chuu's' at the Flora café, while others walked arm in arm with each other down the street, laughing and giggling about the day and their plans for the summer.

"My my my…" an excited voice squealed out as she gazed at all the summer lovers sharing their moments together. One such couple who were 'chuuing' together in the Flora shop, quickly realized they had a pair of big, dark green eyes staring at them romantically. Their heads slowly turned to their stalker, only to have her skip away from them, her long, blonde hair bouncing as she waved a goodbye to them. They both smiled nervously.

"Do you know her…?" the girl asked, her eye twitching.

"No…not at all…" the guy replied his face still in a state of shock.

Tucked neatly under her arm was a portfolio-type bag, the cover open up with papers sticking out of the top.

"Ahh…that brings back memories," she said, thinking back to the same uniform as the girls in the store. She twirled around in a daze, breathing in the air and soaking in the sunlight. It felt good to be back.

"Pocky pocky pocky…" Watanabe mumbled as he searched through one of four bags of groceries, "Not here." He jumped from bag to bag looking for the item that he was desperately hungry for. As he opened one bag, scanning the contents, he exclaimed, "Found you!" With demanding force he poked his head into the bag and started rummaging with his mouth. He emerged with three pocky sticks sticking out of his mouth, grinning widely. Tucking two off to the side of his mouth, he pulled the third one in with an unknown force and chewed.

"Ahh, I won't go hungry for a while now," he said, munching on the last remaining piece of the second pocky. He caressed the last one, the chocolate melting in his mouth. He walked happily down the sidewalk swinging his bags of groceries merrily.

Primula looked into the window of a clothing store, scanning over the summer dresses and, secretly, looking into the back of the store where the under and other lingerie were being sold. She thought back to last summer, and how Kaede and the others had brought her here to shop for underwear that she had, desperately, needed. In particular, she recalled her beautiful senior, Kareha, pulling her back to the changing room and dressing her in a particularly risqué bra, panties, and leg stockings. Deep down, although she never told anyone, making Kaede faint was a feeling of accomplishment for her. Only if Kaede hadn't have made her and Kareha take it back. Primula's thoughts turned to Rin, thinking how fun it would be to bring him back to this store.

"_Primula values Rin's opinion,"_ Primula would tell him when she got him in the store so that he would be forced to stay. More than being with Rin she wanted to get him with all the girls so they could taunt him with their bodies. Primula looked down at her body, she had in good mind that Rin was actually attracted to her petite and slender frame. If only she could do something about her breasts…

"Rim-chan!" a voice called out to her as she felt two slender arms wrap around her body. Had she not seen her reflection in the glass Kareha would have gotten a face-full of explosive magic.

"Kareha-sempai!" Primula yelled, smiling from ear to ear. She tried to turn around but she realized that Kareha had her wrapped up tight, and she even picked her up and began to swing her.

"My my my! Rim-chan is getting more adult every time I see her, thinking about this and that. My my my!"

Primula noticed that Kareha was lost in her all-too-familiar daydream stare, swinging her gently and muttering "My my…" to herself over and over again. Primula cocked her head, smiling nervously, "Kareha-sempai…"

"Ah, I'm sorry Rim-chan," Kareha setting Primula down, "I just haven't seen you in so long, I've missed you so much." Kareha was indeed, a symbol of beauty. Her long, silky, golden hair was as bouncy as her personality, with a wrapped ribbon to the side very similar to Asa's. Her slanted ears indicated that, at the least, she was half-god. Tall, built like a supermodel; dozens of women in school envied her when she was still a student there. Kaede, Sia, and Nerine were the princess' of the schools, but there was definitely something to be said for Kareha and Asa. Primula grasped her hands, smiling into her beautiful dark green eyes.

"How have you been Kareha-sempai?!"

Kareha waved a finger in front of her face, "No no no. I'm not your sempai anymore. You have to call me by my name now."

Primula nodded, "Ok…Kareha-san."

Kareha squealed, hugging Primula again, "Rim-chan you're so cute! I can't believe I survived for so long without seeing your face!" Primula blushed, digging her head into Kareha's shoulder. It didn't matter who you were, no one was immune to Kareha's addictive personality. Kareha pushed her back, continuing to stare at Primula, "That looks good on you, Rim-chan. The smile I mean." This only made Primula blush more, "How's Rin-kun and the others doing?"

Primula raised her eyebrows, "Oh, he's been…feeling better. Everyone else has missed you a lot, we hardly hear from you."

Kareha laughed nervously, "College is hard, they expect you to do a lot of things on your home, you don't have anyone to push you to work."

"Sounds nice," thinking of Kaede walking into her room and bopping her on the head if she was goofing off.

"I guess, but it takes a lot of motivation and that's something I don't have much of," she said continuing to laugh nervously. She stood up straight, rubbing Primula's head.

"I hate to leave so soon but mama is expecting me home soon and I'm already running late. I'll be here for the whole summer, so if you decide to drag Rin-kun here and have everyone show off their bodies to him please give me a call!" Primula stepped back, had she read her mind? They waved to each other, and Kareha trotted off away from Primula.

Primula smiled, it was so nice to see Kareha again. She was a woman that Primula dreamt to grow up as, tall, her long gray hair tied off into one long ponytail, long silky legs, a thin waist with a large chest…. Snapping out of her fantasy, she looked back and forth, to make sure no one she knew saw her in her dream world, and she slowly and quietly stepped backwards into the store, scouting prospects.

"D-R-E-A-M" Watanabe sung, chewing his last pocky stick at the same time, "Dream_ kono mune ni dekkaku tsuyoku; Hikari kagayaite makenai manazashi; Te saguri de sagashita kazen naka; Kotae nanka mada un..."_

Kareha held her bag against her stomach, a large smile on her face as she quickly walked home. She stopped suddenly, looking down at the ground at a lone five hundred piece yen lying helpless on the street.

"Lucky!" she said as she bent down to pick it up. By doing this however, the bag of papers she carried spilled out over the ground, "Ahh! Oh no…"

"D-I-G-G-Y…" Watanabe continued as he popped the last half-inch of pocky in his mouth, chewing it loudly with exasperated breath. As he swallowed, his eyes caught the bent over form of a beautiful blonde bent over picking up her papers…a foot in front of him. He tried reeling himself back but he was going to fast, he was going to crash.

Kareha looked up, a blur catching the corner of her eye. The staggering form of Watanabe was coming on her fast, and she cowered, covering her head in her arms. She heard the loud thud, but didn't feel anything. Slowly, she raised her head and opened her eye. He was gone. Poking her head up, she looked all around in front of her, until she heard a groan come from behind her. It got her attention, as she quickly turned around to see Watanabe planted face first into the concrete, half of his groceries spread every which way.

"Ouch…" he painfully wheezed out, his legs coming down over top of his head. Kareha gasped, quickly crawling on her hands and knees to his side.

"Are you ok?!" She yelled, her hands to her face. In one fluid movement, with his knees on the ground in front of his head, he leaned himself up to his knees, vibrating like a doorstopper when he sat erect. He stared blankly in front of him, his entire face red with burns.

"To treat abrasions first apply a debacterializing agent to the affected area…" he shook his head quickly, waking up from his daze. He saw Kareha's worried expression and smiled back, rubbing the back of his head, "Ah I'm fine! That was a close call there!"

Kareha smiled and clapped her hands together, glad to know this stranger was alright, "Thank goodness. I'm so clumsy that I dropped my papers, and I'm so ditzy I wasn't paying attention to anyone in front of me," she stuck out her tongue and bopped herself on the head.

"Nonsense! I'm clueless to my surroundings so it's my fault I didn't stop to help you sooner."

Kareha waved him off, "Oh you're quite the talker you."

Watanabe stretched, "Now then…! Since we've finished with the formalities, my name is Watanabe and unless there's anything you don't want me to see in those papers of yours I will happily be picking them up for you."

Kareha giggled, "Well my name is Kareha and unless you didn't buy anything a lady shouldn't see I'll be happily picking up your groceries for you."

They both crouched down to their respective work sites, picking up the others mess. Kareha called out to him, waving a cucumber in her hand, "Yoo-hoo! Nabe-san! I found your little secret, you're so naughty."

Watanabe laughed, "Oh ho, you caught me! I'm so ashamed!" They both laughed and jested with each other for the next minute until all items were where they belong.

Watanabe, smiling, stretched out Kareha's bag to her while Kareha, also smiling, stretched out Watanabe's groceries to him. They both clasped onto each other's things, shaking hands wildly.

"Thank you very much!" They both exclaimed equally loud. People on the street had gathered around them in a large circle, thinking it was some kind of street performance.

---------------------

"It's getting late Kaede-chan…shouldn't you be heading home soon." Rin asked Kaede as she fussed around the kitchen.

"Well…" Kaede thought about it for a second, nodding, "I'm going to be going soon, I just want to make sure your apartment is nice and clean before I leave." Rin heard doors open and close, also hearing the clanking of the pots and pans she used to cook his meals with. Sighing, he closed his eyes and snuggled into his bed. As he began to doze off, he heard a door open and…

"Rin-kun…what's this bag doing in here?"

In a flash Rin was out of bed and had slammed the door closed to the cupboard he had left Watanabe's gift in. How could he forget about that damn thing Watanabe left for the world to see on his front door? Kaede puffed her cheeks out, frustrated. She put her hand to his head, lifting the hair out of his face, closing her eyes and approaching his face quickly.

"K-K-Kaede-chan…!" He shut his eyes tight, expecting something bad to happen. Instead, he felt her forehead press gently against his, a slight hum escaping her lips as she compared his temperature.

"You shouldn't get out of bed Rin-kun, your fever has gotten better but you're not well yet." Kaede turned him around, grabbing onto his arm and dragging him to his bed. The covers gently flew over Rin's body as Kaede patted them down around him. "Now don't move, I'll just finish up real quickly and I'll be going home."

Rin was still nervous, but he felt his body beginning to ache and accepted rest, "O-Ok Kaede-chan…but please don't clean anymore. I don't want you walking around this late at night."

Kaede smiled, crossing her hands at her waist, "Ok, I promise I will…" Rin sighed a breath of relief, until he heard a door open, "But bags shouldn't be left lying around cupboards like that, they'll collect unwanted things."

"Kaede!" He yelled, jumping out of the bed. Too late. A look of apathetic disgust was written all over her face as she stared into the bag. With uneasy slowness she turned to face Rin, keeping the same expression on her face, staring disgustingly at Rin.

"I see why you wanted me to leave…" she said in a monotone voice.

"N-N-No Kaede! It's not what it looks like!"

Kaede didn't say anything, continuing to stare at Rin, making him feel uncomfortable. The silence was deafening, and Kaede's unchanging facial expression was really creeping Rin out.

"Pervert."

-------------------------

Watanabe hummed merrily as he walked out of his apartment, arriving only minutes before. He had something important he wanted to talk to Rin about, and after hearing Kaede earlier today he figured that he would be feeling better. He stopped in front of Rin's door. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand to knock on the door.

"RIN-KUN! RIN-KUN! RIN-KUN! RIN-KUN! RIN-KUN! RIN-KUN! LET ME IN I HAVE SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO TELL YOU! RIN-KUN! RIN-KUN! RIN-KUN!"

Through the shouting and the loud banging on the door, Rin's evil eyes stared blindly into the darkness, the blanket that covered his body only half covering the spiked bat he gently tucked under his arm.

"Come on in the door's open."

--------------------

Rin gently placed the cold, water soaked rag over Kaede's fevered head, sighing.

"How did I know this was going to happen?" He asked. Kaede coughed, bringing her hand to her mouth.

"I'm sorry Rin-kun...I guess I'm as frail as you say I am," Kaede said, looking pathetically up at Rin. His hand slowly brushed Kaede's bangs off her forehead, as she closed her eyes, smiling to herself that his face would be close to hers.

When Rin kissed her forehead, her body temperature rose several degrees by what she could surmise. Her hands gripped onto the blanket tightly, as she opened her eyes to see Rin standing over top of her, smiling down at her.

"That's for taking care of me yesterday," he said. Turning around, he picked up the tray that held Kaede's home treatments. Kaede's heart, still beating fast from the kiss, hid her mouth under the blanket.

"Rin-kun..." Rin turned to look at her, "Is...Is it really all right for you to miss work because of me?" When Rin had stopped earlier today to deliver her paper, she came out of the house a complete mess and sick as can be.

"It's no problem at all Kaede-chan." Kaede pulled the blanket further up, covering her blushing face.

"Ok..."

Rin walked down the hall, feeling nostalgic, everything was just as it was when he left. Walking by Primula's room, he peeked in to see her chewing on her pencil, her glasses sliding down her nose.

"Primula-chan..." she jumped, startled, "Anything wrong?"

Primula shook her head furiously, "No not at all. I was just thinking about this problem." Rin nodded, and disappeared out of Primula's view. She continued to chew her pencil, thinking about earlier today. After Kareha had left today and she had snuck into the underwear store, she saw Watanabe walk by the store window, smiling as goofy as usual. But he was carrying a ton of groceries with him, and Primula recalled back to only a couple days earlier. He actually had more groceries today than he did then…

She shrugged it off, it wasn't any of her business.

END

Writer's block is a bitch. Took me forever to write this. Anyway, I still got plenty of ideas to work on, and I do not plan on stopping until the very end. Once again, if there is something that I am missing/am mistaken about please let me know. To those who answered my question concerning Sia and Nerine's mothers, I thank you, the information helped me greatly. Right now, I can't think of anything I need to ask you the readers, but as long as you keep updated on the story I'll think of something that I'll need from those more knowledgeable. Oh, and please tell your friends about this story.

:D


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: _Shuffle!_ and all characters therein are owned by outside companies and I claim no ownership of them.

**_Shuffle! Hope_**

The waves crashed gently on the beach, the seagulls faint 'cawing' could be heard in between the splashing of the waves, and the summer babes giggling overpowered them all.

Itsuki rested under the shade of the umbrella, pushing his glasses up his nose. His eyes gazed over the wonder that was spread out before him. The beauty, the splendor, the absolute stunning perfection of women wearing outfits that need not leave anything to the imagination. It was all there for him, all there for the taking. He grinned, his teeth flashing.

"Rin-kun, here we are in the prime of our lives. The wonder of the world spread out before us," he dramatically pointed over to his right, "For example! A two piece swimsuit, with her cleavage pushed up, exemplifying a perky yet bountiful nature." Itsuki's hand moved to his left, "And over there! A cleanly shaven bikini line, the glory of the female form with her humble yet provocative personality, too embarrassed to be seen with even the slightest hair poking out of her already thinly lined bikini bottom. And for you Rin," he pointed to a gaggle of primary girls, "the mysterious-to-me perfection of the roricon."

Cold, dripping ice poured onto Itsuki's lap, his crotch raised high to the sky with bitter shock. Rin rested his head in his arms again as he closed his eyes, hoping to get a quick nap in before the girls would stop by to play beach games with them.

"Shut up Itsuki, you don't need to keep reminding me of your sick little fantasies."

"Out of the atrocities you've committed on my body this has got to be the worst!" Itsuki yelled, fairly ticked. Rin ignored him, not caring one bit.

They both heard chuckling, low, maniacal chuckling. Looking up, they saw Mayumi standing over them, her arms crossed at her chest and... her chest...

Eye bulging, they looked up at Mayumi's amazingly superb growth spurt. Did I say amazing? I meant miraculous. Supporting a multi-colored one-piece swimsuit that covered up part of her cleavage, not to mention a chest much larger than before, she stared at them triumphantly.

"Mayumi…chan?" They said in unison, completely unbelieving of what they were seeing. She brushed her hair back, trying to be sexy, flaunting off her chest.

"You boys like?" She said in her best sexy voice, winking. Rin buried his head deep into his arm; he would be beaten to death if she heard how hard he was laughing right now. Itsuki was less than amused, more shocked than anything.

"How…How did you manage that in a swimsuit Mayumi?" Itsuki asked in awe.

Mayumi grunted in disgust, turning her head away from him, "How rude! I thought even you Itsuki would take notice of the amazing ability of a girl who will stop at nothing," Mayumi said angrily, primping her hair as if she were a model. Rin's entire body had taken to trembling, having to resort to biting his arm to stop from laughing. Eyes glaring at him, she snorted.

"Mayumi-chan…" Itsuki said seductively. Mayumi turned around quickly, a look of surprise covering her face.

"Y-Yes…?" she asked nervously, her face brightening up. Itsuki gently grabbed her hand, staring longingly into her eyes, "I-I-I-Itsuki! Wh-Wh-What are you doing?!"

"I owe you a deep apology Mayumi-chan…after all this time I had not taken notice to just how…cute you are." He smiled, his teeth flashing brilliantly. Mayumi placed her other hand on his chest, doing a poor job to pull herself away from him.

"M-Midoriba-san…stop it, you're embarrassing me…" she said as she looked away from him, still pushing off his chest but not trying very hard at that.

"Mayumi-chan…" he said one more time, placing his hand under her chin. Her red face and shocked expression came into Itsuki's line of sight, his devishly playful eyes staring into hers.

"M-M-Midoriba…" was the last words to escape her mouth. She gulped, slowly closing her eyes, as her lips awaited Itsuki's gentle touch.

What she felt instead was her expensive flesh-toned pumps fall down her swimsuit to her stomach. Now she looked like she had swallowed a midget.

Itsuki kept hold of her swimsuit, his loving face now turned to one of apathy, "I'm sorry Mayumi I've lost interest now."

If ever in a person's life had their face turned redder than Mayumi's did now, neither Itsuki or Rin did not know about it.

Rin couldn't contain himself anymore, his bellowing laugh was so loud the entire beach heard him over the roar of Mayumi's voice as she beat Itsuki's entire being into sand, note the lack of 'the'. His laughter became so fierce that he grabbed his stomach in pain, never stopping once in his laughter. He rolled onto his back, tears streaming down his cheeks he was laughing so hard, didn't even notice the foreboding shadow that loomed over him.

"YOU ARE SO DEAD!" Mayumi yelled as she flipped him on his stomach, grabbing his legs and bending them backward behind Rin's head. This didn't stop Rin one bit though, as he was able to laugh through the pain.

"Hahaha! I'm…! Sorry! Ow ow hehehe! M-Mayumi-chan…! It's just, hahahaha!"

Mayumi pushed even harder down on his legs, the demon in her taking over in a matter of speaking. She wanted to snap both of their spines.

"Mayumi-chan!" a female voice called from behind her. She turned around to see the rest of the group, including the Lords, staring at Mayumi worriedly…until they saw that she had yet to remove the padding from her stomach.

Everyone froze, time itself froze. They tried, desperately and in vain, to hold back any look that might set her off. They wanted to, oh lord did they want to. It was so easy; Mayumi had brought this upon herself. But she was their friend and this was a sensitive matter to her. Don't laugh, don't say anything they all told themselves.

"Mayumi-chan you should really chew your food," Primula said with amazing quickness.

At this point Shin and Maoh had completely lost it, turning their backs to Mayumi and laughing as hard as they could. Kaede also turned away from Mayumi, her hair covering up the look of pure hysterics in her face, her hand muffling her cries of joy. Sia didn't turn away, but her eyes bulged out of her skull as she covered her mouth with both of her hands trying to ease Sia's own pain from within her lungs. Nerine just buried her head into Sia's back, her entire body trembling with subdued laughter.

Mayumi's entire body shone like the rising sun, all facial features covered by the redness of her embarrassment. Short, high-pitched, successive gasps escaped her lips as she just got brighter and brighter.

"Mayumi-chan! Please come out of the bathroom!" Kaede yelled, banging on the locked stall door.

"NO! I CAN NEVER SHOW MY FACE IN PUBLIC AGAIN, I'M JUST GOING TO STAY IN HERE UNTIL I DIE!" She yelled from the other side, her high-pitched scream giving the feeling that she was very VERY upset.

"I guess it's only a matter of time before the alien breaks through her skin and…" Primula began to say, being extremely too serious in voice and expression.

"RIM-CHAN! DON'T MAKE IT WORSE!" Kaede and Sia yelled at her. They heard an extremely quiet laughter come from behind them, as they turned to see Nerine with her head buried into the arms, leaning against the wall. Her body once again trembled with amazing force to hide the laughter, unable to control herself. Both Kaede and Sia had a large sweatdrop run down the back of their head, speaking in unison, "Rin-chan is amazingly cruel today…"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY, THERE IS NOTHING THAT IS GOING TO MAKE ME COME OUT OF HERE!"

"Mayumi-chan!" Kaede yelled again in protest.

--------------------------

Shin bellowed loudly, having a more forceful laugh. Maoh was quieter and less dramatic, but he himself was also laughing loudly.

"Ahhh!" Shin released a final breath, rubbing his stomach, "I haven't laughed like that in a long time."

Maoh also quieted down, grabbing the elbow of his arm, "I concur. Young women these days, always so concerned about their appearance," he said, not too concerned about his own highly controversial male bikini.

Shin, in normal boxer-style bathing suit, stretched his arms behind his head, "Yes Mabo, but times are changing. Younger women are filling in all the right places and those poor girls like Mayumi-chan feel so left out."

Although he felt sorry for her, Maoh laughed, "And our Primula-chan! I never knew her to have such a sharp tongue."

"Perhaps she has been spending too much time with us Mabo?"

"Nonsense Shin-chan. If anything we are the ones who spend too much time with her."

Shin placed his hand to his chin, nodding, "Yes you may be right Mabo. It is difficult playing games that we can't win at."

Maoh sighed, resting his head in his right hand, "It's so humiliating to let her win every time." Maoh sighed again, Shin sighing with him. Maoh stopped, brushing his hair behind his hair as he stared out into the ocean. "This place sure is beautiful Eustoma."

Shin placed his hand on his hip, looking past Maoh into the sea, "Yes…you're absolutely right Forbesii."

Shin and Maoh stood there, letting the wind gently touch their bodies, Maoh's hair blowing along with the wind.

"Uhhnnn…" a pathetic voice groaned out from the two's side. Both of their heads turned, looking down at the ground. There lay a mass covered in seaweed, algae, and the occasional scuttle crab. The two of them blinked

--------------------

"Rin-sama!" Nerine waved to Rin, a large smile spread across her face, "Come and join us!" Nerine, Sia, and Primula had been bouncing the ball to each other in the water for some time now, Primula holding the ball now. She smiled at Rin as Nerine and Sia continued to yell to him and call him over. Rin, his knees to his chest, waved back at Nerine. He was alone for the moment, Itsuki running off on his own tangent the minute an attractive woman walked by. Kaede was still trying to coax Mayumi out of the bathroom, and Shin and Maoh were nowhere to be found at the moment. Taking a deep breath, he rocked himself up onto his feet and began walking towards the girls.

They were, in so few words, gorgeous. Both Nerine and Sia had a two-piece swimsuit on. Sia had a more revealing, tight red swimsuit, made of a smooth, nylon type material as it wrapped around each breast showing off a great deal of cleavage in the middle. Nerine was more reserved, but sexy nonetheless. A more cloth-like material, one individual cloth covered both breasts and her bottom was lined with frills around the openings of the legs. Primula was…not exactly sexy, but cute and beautiful in her own way, wearing a one-piece, green bathing suit that was snugger on her body than her old school swimsuit. Trotting out into the water, he waved his arms at Primula to pass the ball. When he got closer the ball glided through the air and he jumped up, catching it with one hand.

"Not so hard Primula!" He yelled, laughing. All of them laughed together, as they began to bounce the ball to each other randomly, splashing water on each other to make them squeal and laugh harder.

Kaede watched from far up on the beach, her hands crossed at her waist. She sighed; her attempts to coax Mayumi out of the bathroom had failed and Rin had already begun to play with the other girls. Beginning to feel useless, she turned to her right and began walking off along the beachside, until a hand grabbed her shoulders and whipped her around to the ocean.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Mayumi said as she pushed Kaede towards the ocean.

"M-M-Mayumi-chan?! You came out?" Kaede noticed that Mayumi had changed swimsuits, and for good reason considering the one-piece she wore before had been…adapted for just such a thing.

"I'm still mad at you all," Mayumi growled, "But I decided instead of having a bad time at the beach I'd make you all have a bad time, and it's much easier to do that if you're all in a group. Now move!" Mayumi gave her one last strong, friendly push towards the ocean. Kaede stumbled, not so much to lose her balance and she turned around and stared at Mayumi. Her eyes shimmering, a smile on her face, she ran up to Mayumi and grabbed her hand, dragging her towards the beach.

"You're not going to make us have a bad time from up there!" she yelled as their feet began to splash the water all around. Mayumi, despite her vocal protests, never once tried to stop Kaede from dragging her into the water and up to the group that was playing with the ball, yelling for them to pass it to them.

----------------------------

Itsuki ran, he ran as fast as he could. How the hell Nadeshiko was here again when they were, much less the fact that he just tried to hit on her AGAIN was the last thing on his mind. He remembered last year's summer beach scare, and at the time was thankful that she didn't immediately recognize him. For some reason not being in her homeroom class just made him more recognizable to her outside of class, recalling back moments ago as Nadeshiko looked up at him past her sunglasses, the evil radiating from her stare as she told him he had only a few seconds to leave before she remembered that his physical well-being was not her responsibility outside of school.

When he thought he got far enough away he stopped, panting heavily and holding his hand to his chest. For the past few months Itsuki's performance among women had been, to him, less than acceptable. His cool, charming demeanor belied the countless failed attempts he's had recently to woo the opposite sex and that hurt him. Pangs of jealous began to emanate towards his best friend, Rin, and his seemingly effortless attempts to win the hearts of Verbena's three princesses, which had gone off without hitch.

He pushed his glasses, which had fallen to the edge of his nose, back up. Itsuki knew this wasn't the case, Rin didn't need to do anything to win those girls hearts, and he had done so long before without trying, without even wanting to. Those girls had fallen in love with the actual Tsuchimi Rin, not some playboy like he was. Itsuki smiled.

"That doesn't mean, however, that I've given up on any of them," he said to himself, chuckling. He may not have experienced the same type of love that has befallen Rin but deep down Itsuki knew he could never love just one woman, eventually the girls would get bored of Rin and would come crawling to him. And in Itsuki's sad little world that might actually work.

"Midoriba-san, please remove yourself from my sun and shutting your trap would also be of some help to you."

Itsuki looked down, then jumped about three feet back with his hands in the air.

"A-A-Anthony-sensei?! You too?!"

Anthony adjusted his normal-sized sunglasses, not paying much heed to Itsuki's presence, "Yes me too. I heard talk of this beach around the school and by coincidence this was also Nadeshiko's relaxing period as well. But…" he placed his hands behind his head, "Had I known that one of my students would have come here I would have brought some work to give to that student, knowing full well that that student was goofing off instead of getting his homework done." Itsuki began to sweat profusely.

"You're…you're joking sensei…right?" He asked nervously. Anthony didn't answer, continuing to stare up at the sky as his lean body soaked up the sun; Itsuki felt his heart drop to his stomach. "You're not joking are you?"

Itsuki sighed, and began to walk away from him. Then he noticed something peculiar, "Hey, Anthony-sensei?"

"Hmm?"

"How'd you know it was me if you don't have your glasses on? Those don't look like prescription sunglasses so…" Itsuki stopped, not quite sure how to finish that sentence.

"A good teacher is able to recognize his own student's voice," he said sternly.

"I see…" Itsuki said worriedly. He turned to leave Anthony to his own devices…then he noticed his pair of regular, large glasses lying on the ground. Up close, they were as thick as it looked from the back of the classroom, perhaps even thicker. It was a calling to him. Looking between Anthony and his glasses, he wondered how well he could see without them…wondered what his eyes looked like. It was a question that haunted the minds of all of his students for the few months that they knew him, never had they seen someone for so long without knowing what their eyes looked like. Many have tried, many have failed. Itsuki watched his shadow, slowly stepping around to where it was out of Anthony's light. When the position was right, he lunged.

"Midoriba, do you really want your summer break to end so soon?" Anthony said, his large hand wrapped around Itsuki's wrist that was mere inches away from his glasses. Itsuki's entire face darkened, his glasses slowly sliding down his nose.

"Um…um…hehe…" Itsuki just stood there, and being in an awkward position painfully at that. Anthony didn't move, didn't even turn his head to look at him. He didn't need to, Itsuki saw well enough through his apathetic face that he was plotting something devious and sinister. Grunting, he slowly sat up.

"Let's go see Nadeshiko."

Itsuki's entire being became terrified, all distinguishing features of his pretty face being erased in a flash as he stared, mouth gaping, into his teacher's hulking figure as he pushed himself up, still holding onto Itsuki's wrist, hiding his face from Itsuki as he changed into his normal glasses.

"Yo! Itsuki!" a voice called to him from somewhere down the beach. Salvation! Itsuki turned around, his wrist still being held by Anthony, as he reached out dramatically with his other hand.

"Rin-chan! Save me!" He yelled out to him as he walked along the beach, the other girls in tow. Rin just cocked his head, uncaring either way.

"Anthony-sensei? You're here too?" Sia asked, he turned his head around to look at her.

"Teachers get vacations too, although not nearly as much as our students do," he said sternly, causing everyone to feel a little uneasy. He smirked, "Don't mind me though, our young Midoriba-kun here tried to attack me while I was resting, so now I'm taking him to Nadeshiko-sensei to exact his punishment."

"Ah ok," Kaede said. Primula nodded.

"I see, well sensei don't let us stop you." Rin said. Itsuki's face dropped like a rock.

"Rin-kun!" he yelled in a panic as he felt his feet being dragged through the sand.

Anthony stopped; hand still firmly attached to Itsuki's wrist, but a look of displeasure on his face. He turned around, looking at Nerine, "Nerine-sam…?"

Nerine jumped in surprise, "Y-Yes sensei?"

Anthony pushed his glasses up, "Isn't that swimsuit a bit…too revealing?"

Nerine's eyes shrunk back, such an embarrassing question and yet he was so serious. Like a question her father would ask…if her father were more like other fathers. She looked at the ground feeling ashamed, as she stumbled over her words never truly making a complete sentence or even an answer.

Rin and the other girls looked at Nerine, then at Anthony. The same question on their minds, _"Why would he ask a question like that?"_

Nerine continued to babble, then kept quiet, feeling the eyes of her friends all over her. Slowly her hands and arms began to cover the more revealing parts of her already conservative swimsuit. Anthony turned around.

"Forgive me for asking that. That was a rude question, I had no right to ask that," he tugged on Itsuki's arm, who continued to vainly struggle against his superior strength, "Let's go Midoriba-kun."

Anthony froze yet again, but this was more sudden and it was in mid-step. He fell to his knees, his glasses falling off his face, panting heavily. Letting go of Itsuki's hand, he covered up his eyes and supported his weight with the other hand. Sweat began to drip down his face, his breathing never stopping once.

"Anthony-sensei!" Rin, Sia, Kaede and Itsuki yelled. They ran to his side as he bent down further, in more pain.

"J-Just…find my glasses please…" he asked wearily as his fingers dug into the sand. Kaede grabbed his glasses and held it several inches away from his face. Secretly she felt the glasses, they were as thick and hard as they looked and the lens were so large that the bars of the frame wouldn't bend, in fact there weren't any hinges for them to bend. Anthony took his hand away from his eyes, which were closed tightly, and shakily searched the air in front of him. Kaede moved it into his hand, as he gripped it and slowly put them against his eyes, raising his head so they don't fall off. "Thanks…" he said, desperately trying to stand up. He failed, falling down onto one knee.

"Here sensei, let me help you…" Rin said, wrapping his arm under Anthony's arm. Itsuki did the same on his other side; he was well over six feet tall and as lean as he was, was still rather heavy.

"Sorry about earlier sensei…" Itsuki said, only feeling half as bad as he sounded, "Where are you staying?"

Anthony was still out of breath, as he barely picked up his feet to help walk, "The…the…It's the…beachside hotel…not that far from here."

Rin blinked, "That's weird, that's the same hotel we're staying at."

"We'll pick up your things sensei," Nerine called out, still feeling a bit embarrassed from before. She and Primula began to pick up Anthony's towel and umbrella, among other things, as Rin and Itsuki carried him to his hotel, the other girls following. Primula looked up at Nerine.

"Rin-chan…what's wrong…?"

Nerine snapped out of her dazed, half-smiling at Primula, "It's nothing Rim-chan…I just felt self-conscious of my body for a second."

Primula continued to stare at Nerine, who just finished folding up Anthony's towel. Finally she turned away from her, slightly blushing, "Nee-chan…"

Nerine looked up at her; this is the first time in a long time Primula has called her by that, "Y-Yes Rim-chan…"

Primula's eyes looked back at Nerine, then stared forward again, "Primula…thinks that nee-chan has a sexy body…that she should show it off more," she walked away quickly, "At least that's what Primula thinks."

Nerine blushed, but happier than embarrassed, "Thank you Primula…" she whispered under her breath. Although it would have been more comforting to hear that from Rin, Primula was just as good. "Wait for me Rim-chan!"

------------------------

"Well…" Rin said as he closed the door, "Tony-sensei says it's just a minor heat stroke, but I dunno…"

"Did you get to see his eyes?" Itsuki asked curiously, Rin sighed.

"He was very adamant to keeping them on while I was in there."

Sia puffed out her cheeks, "That's not nice! Aren't you concerned about his health?"

Rin looked away and scratched his head, feeling ashamed, "You're right Sia-chan. But he said he was all right, he just needed some bed rest. We shouldn't worry about him any more. Still, it might not be a bad idea to check up on him every so often."

Itsuki sighed, "I never figured the day I'd be taking care of a teacher. It seems so odd."

"No offense to Anthony-sensei…but he does seem kind of odd," Kaede chimed in. Everyone gave her an odd look.

"You think so?" Sia asked.

Kaede began to feel nervous, backing away from the conversation, "Well…I-I'm not in his homeroom so I don't have many classes with him but…"

"Ah Rin-dono!" A burly voice called out to him from down the hall. Turning, they saw Shin and Maoh walking down to the group, the both of them wearing their respective bikini and brief and sporting a short-sleeved, unbuttoned shirt.

"Maoh-sama. Shin-sama. We were beginning to wonder where you went." Rin said nervously. Shin reached out and began smacking his shoulder.

"Rin-dono! Be more forceful! We're old friends, you can speak to me more comfortably!" He yelled as he continued to smack his shoulder, Rin just stared up at him, wincing with each smack.

"_He says it like we've known each other for years…" _Rin thought.

Maoh looked at Nerine, "Rin-chan. What is everyone doing out here? Not a one of us has this room."

"Well father," Nerine said, smiling nervously, "We ran into our teacher today and he, well, collapsed."

Maoh raised his eyebrows, "Oh? Is he all right?"

Mayumi nodded, "He says he is, but we were just wondering if we should check up on him every so often."

Maoh smiled, "That's very interesting. Shin-chan and myself also happened across a collapsed man today too. He does well, but he was dehydrated and suffering from exhaustion. He says he goes to your school."

Rin look at everyone, who stared back at him. No one else they knew came with them on this trip. It was a long vacation for them, actually staying a couple nights at this large several story hotel. But who else other than Anthony and Nadeshiko came on vacation to this same spot.

"_Why…?_" Rin thought to himself as he walked into the room. _"Why…?"_ his terror stricken face slowly gazed over the bed again. _"WHY?!"_

"Hey…Rin-kun…" an exhausted Watanabe said to him. He coughed sympathetically, but no one felt the least bit sympathetic.

"You…you're following me aren't you? You just want to make my life miserable don't you?" Rin said, his eye twitching furiously.

"Rin-kun that's so mean. I finally get time away from my job and I figured I'd take a nice relaxing fishing trip out into the sea…" he gazed into the ceiling, his eyes shimmering with nostalgia. Everyone in the room saw the picture he painted, a ridiculously handsome Watanabe in the middle of the sea on a raft, an umbrella shading his tanned skin from the sun, a small stick with a piece of twine cast into the water.

"There I was…in the middle of the ocean. Sea everywhere, it was so difficult but so relaxing. Like something out of a poem. Then it came." A still giant squid emerged from the ocean, its tentacles spread way up in the sky, "I could only do so much, but even I was no match for it. It tore my beautiful raft to smithereens, and I had to ride the current on a small piece of driftwood to this very spot."

"Liar," Primula said not amused.

"Bullshit," Mayumi said, exactly like Primula.

"Got caught peeking into the women's shower, then they dragged your unconscious body out into the middle of the ocean and dropped you in didn't they?" Rin said, his eye still twitching. Watanabe turned his face away from everyone, tears streaming down his eyes.

"Who brings a raft with them on vacation…?" he muttered, barely loud enough so the three heard him. Outside in the hall, a large sweatdrop ran down Shin and Maoh's head.

"They're awfully cruel aren't they?" Shin asked, feeling sorry for Watanabe. Sia laughed nervously.

"He's a bit…odd…" She said, not really sure if that's the best way to put it. Kaede sighed.

"That's one way of putting it," Kaede said all too cruelly. Sia and Nerine just laughed nervously. From inside, they heard his voice call out.

"Mayumi-chan! I need the comforting love of a strong supportive woman like yourself!"

"Eat shit and die," she said too bluntly.

Through the commotion they never heard the humming and skipping feet of someone coming down the hall. In fact they didn't hear her at all until…

"My my, what's all the noise about?"

"Eh?" the group, including the Lords, said as they turned around. In front of them was a tall, blonde-haired woman with big dark green eyes wearing a…

"KAREHA!" Sia, Nerine, and Kaede yelled. Kareha squealed with surprise delight, as the four met head on in one large tackle. Much giggling and laughing ensued as the four of them spoke all at once, never really accomplishing anything but enjoying it just the same. Shin and Maoh just smiled, as their daughters and their friends caught up four months in four minutes. And that time, Itsuki, Rin, Primula, and Mayumi also poked their heads out of the room, and immediately brightened up upon seeing the bubbly Kareha. They too ran out to meet her, Primula and Mayumi joining the large mass in the middle of the room, Itsuki and Rin staying back and waiting their turn.

The noise finally began to settle down, Kareha answering questions like "How've you been?", "How's college?", "Do you have a boyfriend?" the standard question one asks when meeting an old friend. Her eyes darted past the girls, to where Rin was standing, arms folded and a big smile on his face. She broke through the crowd with ease, wrapping Rin up in a gigantic hug.

"Rin-chan!" she yelled as she literally fell on him.

"K-Kareha-sempai?!" he asked nervously, his face beginning to blush. She pulled back from him and smiled.

"No sempai. Call me by my name!" she said way too happily. Rin smiled, turning away from her.

"O-Of course…Kareha…san…" he never knew why he had trouble calling his superiors by their names, but it always embarrassed him. Kareha squealed.

"Rin-chan called me by my name!" and she latched her arms around his neck again. Rin smiled and laughed, her personality was addictive.

Itsuki walked up to her, brushing his hair back, "Kareha-san, it's so nice to see you again, you've grown stunningly beautiful since the last time I saw you." Poking her head out from behind Rin's head, she let go and clasped onto Itsuki's hand, shaking it.

"Itsuki-kun! You were always such a sweet talker!" she said, as she continued to shake his hand.

Itsuki forced a smile, deep in the back of his mind he thought, _"I feel so unfulfilled…"_

"Is that who I think it is?!" Watanabe yelled from his room. Kareha's already bright face brightened up, as she yelled back.

"Nabe-nabe is that you?!" she yelled as she skipped into the room. Everyone froze.

_"Nabe…nabe?"_

Slowly they walked into the room, seeing Kareha standing over Watanabe.

"What happened to you Nabe-nabe? Did the girls catch you peeking in the locker room?"

"Kareha-san you should know me better than that, I'm hurt by your words."

"Oh Nabe-nabe I DO know you better than that," they laughed, everyone in the hallway looking VERY nervously at them.

"Um…Kareha-sempai…?" Kaede asked nervously, she turned around, cocking her head and blinking.

"Yes Kaede-chan?" Kareha asked sweetly.

"How do you know Watanabe-san?"

Kareha looked at Kaede, then towards the ceiling, thinking it over carefully, "Well…I guess you could say we ran into each other."

Everyone just nodded solemnly, Sia whispering into Rin's ear "Isn't that a bit evasive?"

Rin nodded, still looking shocked about the whole situation, "And she's usually the one who jumps right into delusional fantasies."

Kareha bounced into the doorway, everyone standing back for her arrival, "Come on everyone! There's still a couple of hours left in the day, let's go outside and enjoy it some more!"

At once everyone forgot about how these two knew each other, yelling wildly and raising their fists to the sky with joy as Kareha, self-appointed leader, marched the group down the hallway, all except for Rin.

"Rin-kun!" Watanabe yelled, stopping Rin from following the rest of the group.

Blinking, he looked into his room, "Yes?"

Watanabe sat up, miraculously feeling a lot better, "How do you know Kareha-san? She go to school with you?"

Rin was still surprised about the whole situation, as he walked into his room, hands in his pockets, "Yeah. She and Asa were best friends and a year ahead of all of us. We used to do things all the time together before she went to college, she even worked at that café near the school, Flora."

Watanabe stared at Rin curiously, and then his face lit up with amazement, "OH! So that IS the Asa!"

Once again, Rin was overcome with amazement, but not the nervous kind from before, "She mentioned Asa?! What'd she say?!"

Without thinking, he replied, "Not much, just mentioned her name in conversation, like who she knew at college."

Rin felt disappointed, sighing, "Ok…wait, how DO you know Kareha?"

Watanabe laughed, "Well I did run into her…literally…she dropped her bags and I tripped over her…"

"I see…" Rin said feeling relieved.

"Then we went on a couple of dates but that was about it…" Watanabe finished, tapping his chin. Rin's mouth became wider than the Bering Strait.

"You did WHAT?!" He yelled, scaring Watanabe so badly that he nearly fell off his bed. With a frightened look he waved his arm out to try and calm Rin down.

"I-I-I-I-It's not what you think! We had a good time but sh-sh-she just wanted to be friend and I have to agree with her!" Watanabe covered his eyes, expecting Rin to do something painful to him.

"Oh…" Rin said, unsure of how to feel. He was still shocked that this…goofball would ask a girl out in the blue like that, much less that she accepted so it began to make Rin wonder what Kareha herself was thinking. On the other hand he felt kind of relieved. Still, Kareha isn't someone you just give up on, "What do you mean you agreed with her?"

Watanabe peeked over his arm to make sure it was safe to him to come out, "It's…as it sounds…" Rin blinked, staring curiously at him, "It was only a couple dates, she's fun but not my type."

Rin's eye twitched, fearing the worst answer, "I'm terrified to ask you this, but what IS your type of girl?"

Watanabe smirked as he thought about it, pulling the blanket closer to him, "Well…that's a relative question, but…" he leaned back on the bed, "…if I had to say, I would say kindness, abundance of friends to have lots of fun with, a good heart if but a little emotional and prone to over-exaggerating. Gotta be interesting in some ways," he smiled, "And physical attractiveness is a plus, I'm hard to please. That's not that hard to get over if I really like the person, but I don't meet many people who do that to me."

Throwing the blanket off him, he pushed himself off into the air, pretending to be a gymnast when he landed. In his mind he heard the crowd cheer, Rin just shook his head.

"You're difficult to understand," he muttered, watching him wave to his imaginary audience. "Let's go Nabe-kun, just be careful around Mayumi, she's in a bad mood today and she'll have no problem drowning…"

There was a flash of light outside the window, cutting Rin short. Then, in one monstrous sound, an explosion of thunder. So explosive the lamp itself shook with the noise, so thunderous that Watanabe immediately tackled Rin to the ground.

Watanabe gripped Rin, his head buried in the carpet. After a few seconds he sat up, a look of surprise on his face, "Oh it was just thunder."

If Rin had been able to talk, much less move, his hands would have been around his throat asking him what the hell was the matter with him. Watanabe just scratched his head, looking left and right in curiosity, as the rain outside quickly began to splatter against the window, becoming louder by the second.

"Oh sorry Rin-kun, let me give you a hand," and he outstretched a hand out to him. Rin, eye twitching, glared with hatred into his eyes as he grabbed his hand.

"I never figured you to be scared of storms," he said, hoping to exploit a weakness. He just pouted.

"Anyone would be if that bomb went off right next to your window."

"I'm sure of it. You're just a big sissy aren't you?" Rin said as he brushed himself off.

Watanabe shed a single tear, "In my previous life I was killed in a war, the thunder brought back terrible memories."

"Shut up."

"Rin-kun, Rin-kun!" a voice called out to him. Sia immediately stopped in front of their door, "Rin-kun! Kaede fainted!"

"What?!" Rin yelled, "What happened?!"

"Well…there was that loud thunder and she just rolled her eyes in the back of her head and fell down."

Rin sighed, feeling relieved, "Thank goodness…"

Sia blinked, "Rin-kun?"

"She's ok Sia-chan. Kaede has always hated storms, thunder to be more specific. That last one was pretty loud, even scared the brave over here."

"Past life Rin! Past life!" Watanabe yelled in protest.

"Kaede is just terrified of storms, but I'll go help you carry her to her room."

Upon hearing the word "terrified", Watanabe's top half of his face darkened, an evil smile washing over the lower half. Neither Rin nor Sia noticed this as they walked out of the room, a brooding shadow enveloping the room. Watanabe began to chuckle maniacally.

Itsuki stepped into his line of sight, the glare from his glasses covering up his eyes.

"Nabe-san."

"Yes? Suki-san?"

"A group of women in an unnatural environment…"

"In a frightening situation…"

"With no where to go…"

"In tight quarters…"

Their eyes met, a spark of evil lust burning between them. In unison, they spoke.

"It is time."

Several minutes passed, and Kaede was up and on her feet, although still feeling a bit woozy.

"I…I'm ok everyone, thank you so much for caring about me."

Sia still looked worried, slowly poking her head over Kaede's shoulders, "Are you sure Kaede-chan? I've never seen you drop like that before."

Kaede laughed nervously, "You make it sound like I do this all the time Sia-chan…"

Sia chuckled, a nervous look on her face. Kareha just looked disappointed.

"And I was so looking forward to go swimming with Rin-chan and everyone today…"

"Don't worry Kareha-sen, I mean san," Nerine said, "We'll be here all day tomorrow too, so we'll have plenty of time to have fun."

Kareha smiled ever more brightly, "Yup! You're right! We'll just have to have extra fun tomorrow then!"

Mayumi stretched, "Ahhhh…! But I still got so much energy left! What can we do for the next several hours, it's not even evening yet!"

Kareha clapped her hands together, "I got some great games we could play!"

Rin looked at Kareha, "You mean…like card games?"

Kareha blushed, turning away from Rin, "Ah Rin-chan…don't make me say it…" Rin blushed, Sia and Nerine looking worriedly between the two of them, "I was…thinking more along the lines of…of…"

Everyone gulped, expecting her to say something dirty, or worse, break out into one of her fantasy dreams.

"Kings and Truth and Dare…"

Silence fell over the group, that actually wasn't a bad idea.

"Kareha-san…" Rin said nervously, "Please don't scare us like that."

Kareha bent down, looking into Rin's eyes and sticking out her tongue. He took a step back, blushing.

"Come on come on everyone! Let's go into my room!"

"Our room's closer," Rin said, meaning him and Itsuki, "Let's go into there." As he led the group, deep down inside of him, he got the sneaking suspicion that this was a bad idea.

Opening the door, the room was eerily quiet, too quiet. The beds were too in order, the light was on…everything screamed bad to Rin. Unbeknownst to him, all the girls had previously piled into room, talking amongst themselves and creating a commotion. Something was amiss.

"Hey…let's go to another room…I just remembered Itsuki might be…"

The door shut behind him with a loud thud, causing the hairs of his neck to stand on end. The girls shrieked, glaring at Rin.

"Rin-kun! Don't shut the door so hard! You scared us…" Sia yelled at him, giving him a saddened look. Rin stuttered over his words.

"I-I-I didn't do that!"

"I know what Rin-chan is trying to do," Kareha chimed in, "He wants to scare us so we'll all jump into his warm embrace.

"N-N-NO! I didn't do it I swear!"

Kareha giggled, taking a few steps towards Rin, "Well…" she leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I don't mind playing along!"

"Ehhh?!" The rest of the girls yelled.

"No fair!" Nerine yelled, being the second to rush to him, slipping in between the two.

"Eeek! I'm so scared save me Rin-kun!" Sia yelled in mock fear as she too joined in the big group hug around him.

"Leave room for me!" Kaede yelled.

"Rim-chan! How'd you get so close to Rin-sama?!"

"I was able to slip past the big gap your boobs cause."

"RIM-CHAN!"

All the girls laughed, Rin only being smothered by so much love. Mayumi watched, feeling a bit jealous and left out. Then the lights went out, all the girls yelping in surprise.

"What happened to the lights?!"

"Rin-sama this isn't funny…"

"I didn't do anything…"

"The light switch isn't working."

"Onii-chan…"

"Rin-chan if you want a feel all you have to do is ask."

"Sorry Kareha-sempai…"

"Kaede-chan! That's you! You got a strong grip." Kareha giggled.

From the vicinity of the back of the room, a small flickering light fluttered around the room. Immediately the entire group froze in silence. The light stopped, and dispersed. And from the underskirts of the bed, a low maniacal laughter echoed through the near empty room. Rin could feel five pairs of hands grip onto his shirt very tightly.

The laughter stopped, as the darkness in the room only seemed to get even darker. The storm was really bad outside for midday, they really couldn't see a thing. The silence was deafening.

"MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The spectral head howled as it appeared out of nowhere in front of the group. As a singular unit…

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The force with which the door was flung outwards almost drove it off it hinges…missing the bloody body of a corpse hanging from the ceiling. They all yelled again, even louder than before.

**END**

I am taking a very very VERY brief hiatus from Shuffle! Hope, and am working on a one-shot Yakitate! Japan fanfic. I should have chapter seven for Hope within a week, in the meantime, I invite everyone to come take a look at my Yakitate! Japan fanfic, coming soon.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: _Shuffle!_ and all characters herein are property of outside companies; I claim no ownership of them

**_Shuffle! Hope_**

"The group of friends had been stuck in the hotel for days, the furious howling of the storm never stopping once. With each explosion of thunder each person felt their life decrease little by little. The electricity had been gone over a day, a single candle being their only means of light other than the occasional flash of lightning. Each person in the room could feel the overwhelming fear taking a hold of them; already the loud-mouthed girl had disappeared into the darkness. Had the others killed her? Was there more than one killer? Paranoid, the group stared into each other eyes, each pair more devious than the rest. Their stomachs growled, maybe one of them needed to kill the girl…maybe the hunger was too great for them. Their fingernails dug into the thick carpet, their stomachs roaring, their minds screaming with fear. None of them could take it any longer! The cursed hotel was taking control of them! Violent images of savagery and inhuman acts bombarded their fragile minds! They were so hungry! So scared! Drooling…they launched themselves at one another, spreading…."

"STOP IT STOP IT!" Mayumi yelled, using the pillow she held tightly in her arms to beat against Watanabe's head, "STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT! YOU'RE STORIES AREN'T SCARY IN THE LEAST THEY'RE GROSS AND DISGUSTING AND I CAN'T TAKE THEM ANYMORE!"

"OW! Mayumi! Ow! Stop…! Ow! IT!" Watanabe yelled as he was mauled by Mayumi's immensely hard, at least to him, pillow. Not heeding his words, she continued to scream at the top of her lungs continuously beating him spreading down everywhere.

Rin had all five other girls huddled around him, Kareha laughing at Watanabe's thrashing, Rim more interested in pretending to be scared to get closer to Rin, Kaede pretending NOT to be scared but still grabbing tightly onto Rin's sleeve, Sia and Nerine both scared out of their wits with Sia burying her head into Rin's side and Nerine wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing tightly. Both of the latter were sobbing softly.

"Rin-sama…these stories are too scary…" Nerine whispered as she trembled into his back.

"Please no more…" Sia whispered.

Laughing nervously, Rin tried his best to intervene, "Ok Mayumi-chan…I think he's learned his lesson. No more ghost…"

"But Rin-kun," Itsuki said, his glasses flashing in the dim light of the flashlight that laid on the ground before them, "I have yet to tell my story."

"I CAN'T TAKE ANOTHER MORE SCARY STORY!" Mayumi yelled, swinging her pillow around which had become naught but a sheet at this point.

"Mayumi-chan, you're so scared that you can't even speak properly," Itsuki poked fun at her.

This got her goose, as she growled softly, her furrowed brow twitching in frustration, "I'm not scared! Go ahead and tell another of your stupid scary ghost stories! I won't be scared at all!"

"Mayumi NO!" Rin and the three scared girls yelled.

"Oh come on Rin-chan, one more scary story than we can play King. What do you say?"

Rin's eye twitched, it wasn't all right. He was already being strangled and his arms being pulled off by the shoulders, he couldn't very well say yes. "Well…Kareha-san…"

"Then it's settled! One more Itsuki-san!" She yelled in delight. Rin and the three other girl's faces froze in horror.

"Then this is the story…about a store around the Yokohama area…that was rumored to have some of the best shumai dumplings in all of Japan. But…there was a rumor that they were made from human flesh."

Kaede got up, wearily walking to the door and opening it, light flooding the room, "Sorry everyone…but it's my turn to check on Anthony-sensei…besides I've already heard this story before…"

"And you get scared every time you hear it," Itsuki said in jest, Kaede's pale face smiling nervously.

"Th-that's not true!" she yelled. In silence she stood, the entire group looking at her with a worried look. She didn't say a word.

"…"

"Well I'm off be right back!" and with that she slammed the door closed and ran down the hall. Everyone gulped in surprise, Nerine even more pathetically rising to her feet trying to follow her.

"W-Wait for me Kaede-chan…" she said in desperate hope she would hear her. Instead of that however, she felt a hand wrap around her ankle, stopping her in place. Stiffly, she turned around her eyes ever so frighteningly looking at the force that held her in place. From the floor, a slightly bloody Watanabe looked up at her, sticking his tongue out in an old-fashioned demon mask and chuckling sinisterly. That was all that was needed to set her off, foam shooting from her mouth and her eyes rolling into the back of head, as she so daintily collapsed on the floor. Watanabe blinked, surprised.

"Oh crap. She fainted."

A heavy force came down upon his head, two in fact, Sia's foot and Rin's fist, both of them yelling "Jerk!"

--------------

Down the hall, Kaede leaned against the wall of the hall, feeling anemic. This was too much for her fragile little heart. First was the extremely loud thunder crack that nearly scared her half-to-death, then it was Itsuki's stories, whom she always knew to be really scary, and Watanabe's stories, which were equally terrifying.

Sighing, she gently knocked on Anthony's door, expecting to hear an answer. After none came, she used the key they took earlier for easy access to his room and opened the door. Indeed, he was still there, a damp rag lying over his forehead, panting heavily.

"_Looks like he's only getting worse,"_ she thought to herself, carefully walking into the room not to disturb him. Feeling the rag over his head, she noticed it had gotten warmer and was dry, taking it off and ringing it over the room's sink. As she prepared another one, she heard Anthony grunt awake, painfully. Poking her head out of the bathroom, she saw Anthony twisting in his bed, "Anthony-sensei?"

Gasping, he turned his head to the doorway, "Who's there?!"

Kaede was startled at the sudden outburst, shrinking away from him, "It's…it's me sensei…K-"

"Oh…Kaede-san…I apologize. You just startled me that's all."

Feeling a bit relieved, Kaede slowly made her way past the door of the bathroom, "M-Maybe if you opened your eyes…"

Anthony chuckled, "It wouldn't matter if I did." He chuckled again, this time sending him into coughing spasms as he bolted in an upright position.

"S-Sensei!" Kaede yelled, getting ready to rush to his aide. But as quickly as he started he stopped, his long hair falling in his face.

"This…this is nothing…" he wheezed out, "I've been in worse shape." With that, he collapsed onto his back, breathing more normal than he has been.

"Worse?" Kaede asked surprised, walking over to his bedside and covering his entire body with the blanket, which had scattered when he sat up.

"Yeah…it's complicated…" he replied wearily, covering his eyes with his hands.

"Move your hand please," she asked, cradling the cold wet rag, placing it over his face when he did so, "Do you…have a simpler version?"

He shook his head, "None that I can tell you at this moment. Thank you Kaede-san, now please go back to your friends."

Kaede bowed, turning around and heading to the door. But she stopped right before, turning around and looking at him.

"A-Anthony-sensei…?"

"Yes?"

Kaede stopped, collecting her thoughts. She wanted to ask to see his eyes, only out of curiosity. But in the end, she decided against it.

"Nevermind sensei, it was rude of me to even think of it."

Anthony lay in silence for a moment, then spoke again, "It's alright Kaede-san, I like to have an aura of mystery around me. Makes me feel special." He chuckled.

Kaede felt a little flustered; Anthony was a weird one. Always doing and saying weird things, usually completely opposite of how he acted moments earlier. She bowed nonetheless; he wasn't such a bad guy after all. As she walked back down to the room where the rest of the group was, she wondered. Earlier when Nerine had been down to his room, she said that he had been callous with her the entire time, up to the point where he ignored her before she left. Nerine wasn't the person who would lie about that, so Anthony must have been hiding something…

Before she knew it, Kaede had reached the door to the room, which was eerily quiet. Opening the door, she noticed that Watanabe and Rin conversed with Sia and Nerine, who had recently regained consciousness. Kareha was taking a marker to some tiny pieces of sticks, Mayumi sulked in the corner, and Itsuki's neck had become thinner than a straw.

"What's everyone doing?" She asked, closing the door behind her.

"All done!" Kareha said, holding up nine tiny sticks, labeled one through eight, and another one with a little crown on it.

"We're just waiting for Kareha to finish setting up for King, which she just finished it appears," Rin told Kaede, some of the people walking around to their place forming a big circle in the middle of the room. Once everyone was seated, Kareha placed her hand in the middle, all the sticks poking out at the top, their numbers hidden in her hand.

"Ok! The rules are the game are simple, we each draw a stick and whoever is King gets to tell another number to do something! Since we have so many women who vie for Rin-chan's heart," half of the girls blushed, "No kissing commands. Hugging is fine. And you can't command someone to do something to you." Multiple sighs came around. Everyone reached in and grabbed a stick, eagerly anticipating being King.

"Yahoo!" Watanabe yelled, holding out the stick triumphantly. Everyone gulped nervously, "We'll start off with something simple. Um…number seven stand on your head!"

And so number seven stood on his head, number seven being Itsuki. Not exactly a gut-busting move but it made a couple people chuckle as Itsuki desperately tried to keep his balance, eventually falling down hard on his back.

Everyone handed in their sticks to Sia as she began to shuffle them around behind her back. Drawing their sticks, Itsuki flashed a perverted grin.

"Hehehe…" he chuckled, pushing his glasses up on his face, "Number three…take off your shirt!" Collective gasps came from all the girls, Rin yelling at Itsuki. "I am the King! You must do what I say!"

Kareha nodded in agreement, "I never said anything about stripping, but for decency underwear is the maximum."

None of the girls looked happy in the least, everyone looking in terror at their stick.

"Oh…" Rin said, "That's me." All the girls sighed in relief, Itsuki looking crushed.

The following half-hour was filled with laughter and shocking gasps, as some commands came about like "Two put head in six lap" which caused Mayumi to punch Watanabe when he did so. "Five hug eight" made Kaede blush as she held her hug with Rin longer than what was expected. "Two sit in three's lap" made Nerine feel embarrassed as Kareha happily cradled her. They learned that Mayumi's ears were very sensitive as Itsuki blew into them, again following up with a fist to the face. Only one more strip command was given by Kareha, thankfully it was Rin again although she changed it to "Put your shirt back on, then take it off but do it sexy-like" at the last minute. Rin drew the King after that but he was so embarrassed he could hardly speak.

"Kareha-san…" Kaede said exhausted, her already short hair tied into tiny pigtails, "Can we stop soon…?"

"Oh this isn't so bad is it Kaede-chan?" Kareha asked. Kaede just sighed, "Now then!"

Drawing sticks again, Itsuki yelled triumphantly, "Ah ha! I am the King again!" All the girls felt a cold shiver run down their back, "Let's see…although it would be in character of me to repeat my last command, it would be uninteresting and with luck it would be Nabe or Rin again."

"Not to mention I'd beat the snot out of you," Mayumi chimed it.

"In that case…number four! Tell me about your first kiss!"

No one made a sound. Most of the group looked around casually at the others numbers, realizing that none of them had that number drawn. Then they saw Kaede…who was trembling feverishly and staring off wide-eyes into empty space.

"Kaede-chan?" Sia asked, blinking. Curiously she peeked over her hand, and saw the number four on her stick. "What's wrong Kaede-chan, you're number fo-"

It hit Sia like a ton of bricks, her entire body trembling feverishly too as she stared horrifyingly into the little four on Kaede's stick. All color was lost from her eyes and face, as she slowly looked up at Kaede.

It was completely innocent! Sia was just helping Kaede with her make-up, and then they tripped and fell! The odds were staggering that Kaede's lips would land right on Sia's but it was coincidence nonetheless. Still…both Sia and Kaede's first kiss was…abruptly taken from them. They hadn't even thought about it until this very minute, drastic measures were needed.

"I-I-I-I-I don't think Kaede has been kissed yet!" Sia yelled in defense of Kaede, sweating profusely. Kaede only mildly snapped out of her daze, nodding in agreement.

"Th-That's right! I have virgin lips, yes that's right!" Kaede yelled, backing Sia up. Rin seemed pleased by the answer, Nerine and Primula also seemed content, Mayumi with a devilish look on her face, Kareha beginning to transcend into her dream state, Itsuki and Watanabe looking completely dissatisfied. In fact…

"Liar," Watanabe blurted out.

"Indeed," Itsuki followed up.

Kaede shrunk back, her face a complete wreck, giving off any attempts of trying to lie her way out of this. She tried nonetheless, "N-N-No I'm not! I mean! A kiss is supposed to be a mutual thing, it can't just happen on acc-" She clamped her hands over her mouth, it was too late. Sia had taken to hiding her face from the rest of the group, knowing that Kaede would crack like a walnut if she were pressured hard enough. Kareha had resorted to her dream state, swaying her body back and forth as she went "My my my!" Nerine and Primula blushed as they looked at her with intense interest, Mayumi pulling out a pen and notepad from thin air. Itsuki's eyes were hidden from the glare of the room's light but smiling pervertedly nonetheless. Watanabe had two little fangs poking through the top of his mouth; Kaede swearing he had a cat tail as it flicked itself from side to side with interest. Rin's mouth was gaping open as he stared at Kaede.

"Please don't look at me like that!" she yelled, shaking her head from side to side, the tears being flung from her eyes. Watanabe leaned closer to her on all fours.

"Uh-uh! Now you have to tell us!"

"No!" she yelled, hiding her face.

"Nabe…" Rin said, beginning to get angry with him.

"If you don't tell us, then in accordance to the rules of King you are subject to whatever the King tells the others to do," Itsuki said with glee, winding back on his knees.

"I've never heard of such a thing!" Kaede yelled.

"And the King suggests…DOG PILE ON KAEDE" Itsuki yelled, both him and Watanabe leaping in unison at her, Kaede's eyes shrinking into the back of her head as she screamed. It didn't take long for a fist to catch them in their face however, Rin on Watanabe and Mayumi on Itsuki. Their skulls clunked together in one loud hollow sound before they fell in one giant lump on the floor. Rin clenched his already throbbing fist, trembling.

"You two are so much trouble…" he muttered, Mayumi nodding in agreement. Kaede sighed in relief as everyone began to disperse and take a break; she was in the clear until Kareha leaned into her ear.

"Hey Kaede-chan…who was it?" Kareha whispered. Kaede once again fell into shock, unable to move, "If you don't tell me I'm going to tickle you until you pee."

"D-D-D-Don't do that!" Kaede barely whispered, Kareha just giggling. She looked to her left and right, no one was listening and Kareha WOULD tickle her until she wet herself or until she yelled it out for everyone to hear. Cupping Kareha's ear, she leaned in and told her story.

"MY MY MY!" Kareha yelled, her face once again returning to her daydream state. Kaede desperately tried to calm her down by shaking her shoulders.

"Kareha-sempai! Stop please!" she yelled, but it was no use as Kareha was lost in her dream.

Out of the blue however, Kareha looked up submissively at Kaede as she covered her mouth with her hand, "Kaede you masher…I didn't know you would be so forceful…"

Kaede lost her, her eyes rolling around in their sockets as she continued to shake Kareha, "I'm not a masher…"

Rin tried to ignore Kareha's teasing as he shuffled through his gear that he brought with him on this trip. His gear…

"AH!" he yelled, "Our stuff is still outside!"

"WHAT?!" was the collective yell from the group, sans Itsuki and Watanabe. This brought Sia out of her sudden depression and Kaede out of her weakened mental state, a worried look on everyone's faces.

"Oh no…most of our stuff was outside…" Nerine said worriedly. Mayumi began to cry.

"All my stuff was…except for some clothes my camera was out there…"

"Well it's probably ruined by now," Rin said defeated, looking out to the window.

"I'll go get it," Primula blurted out, as she began to wrap herself in some clothes. Everyone looked at her nervously.

"No Rim-chan!" Nerine demanded, "It's too dangerous out there, there's a storm and you could get hurt."

"It's ok Rin-san," Primula said reassuringly, pointing out the window, "The rain has let up a lot since earlier and the beach isn't far at all from here. I'll be back in a couple minutes."

"Primula, it's still too dangerous outside," Rin said, placing his hand on her shoulder and looking at her sternly. She blushed and looked away.

"I…I just wanted to help…" she replied bashfully. Rin smiled and bent down to look her in the eye.

"I understand Primula, you don't need to do anything to help. You do enough as it is." Primula blushed, wrapping her arms around Rin's neck and squeezing tightly. Rin hugged back, and stood up after letting go. "But all of our things...if wet…it might not be a bad idea to go see if anything is salvageable. I'll go."

"No Rin-sama…" Nerine intervened, "I'll go. My magic is limited in this use, but I can use it to protect myself from the wind and rain if it gets too heavy."

"Rin-chan, I don't think…" he stopped when Nerine put a finger to his lips.

"I'll be fine Rin-sama," she said smiling, her eyes glimmering, "I'll be back in a bit."

Rin and the others watched as she trotted off, disappearing around the corner. Behind Rin's red face was a deep sense of urgency…Nerine's beautiful face…something was wrong. It was probably paranoia, but a part of him had a dark foreboding feeling. He felt like he should go out and help her in the least.

"Rin-chan!" Kareha called out to him, poking her head out of the doorway, "Come on we're about to play Spin the Bottle!"

"What?!" Rin said in surprise, Kareha giggled.

"Just kidding, it's Old Maid. Come on," and with that she grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room.

-------------

The wind and the rain were fiercer than what Nerine had anticipated. Like she told Rin earlier her magic was limited in this use, using her shield to protect her as best as she can from the elements. In effect, it worked a lot like an umbrella, keeping the rain off of her but the gales of wind still pushing against her. She kept her ground as she made her way to their camp area, which had been almost completely destroyed. Save for a few of the heavier objects, the towels, umbrella, raft, and other novelty toys were long gone. One of the bags remained full, overturned, but still with all the items in it. Nerine thanked Kaede for covering up the bag with a towel before hand; the towel had been anchored to the bag even after it overturned so all was not lost.

A howling gust of wind knocked Nerine over, the contents from the bag spilling out. Half of the contents from the bag were blown away immediately, the rest being scattered across the beach. She struggled to get up, the wind seeming to get stronger with each gale. There was a calm in the wind finally, as she started collecting the items off of the ground one by one, hoping they wouldn't be damaged if they were wet. One last item remained Nerine noticed as she looked at a large sketchpad that was dug into the sand, pelted with rain. Sia's drawings! Hurriedly she rushed over and started to brush off the water that lingered on the back cover, praying Sia's drawings weren't ruined. There was something different though…the sand here…it was a lot softer then the sand further up and her feet and hands dug deeper into it almost like quicksand.

It didn't take the ominous shadow that engulfed her to realize…she was on the ocean's edge.

-------------

"Is it just me or did the storm just get worse outside?" Mayumi noted, laying down a pair of three's.

Sia groaned nervously, "I think it did…"

"I'm sure Rin-chan's fine," Itsuki noted, drawing a card from Mayumi's hand and showing the back of his cards to Primula.

Rin sat in silence, a strong feeling of doubt coming over him. Hearing Primula calling his name snapped him back into reality, as he grabbed a card from Primula's hand, and showing his hand to Kareha. Choosing, she too turned to Sia at her right and the game continued.

Thinking his heart nearly exploded, Rin stopped. The pupils in his eyes were nigh visible, the cards in his hands slowly falling through the small cracks of his fingers. He shut his eyes forcibly, slowly opening them.

"_What…was that?"_ he thought. He looked at his hand, the one that didn't hold any cards. It was trembling; it was trembling something awful. Nerine's image passed before his eyes, the gorgeous face that smiled at him as she placed her finger to his lips to quiet them.

There was a tugging on his shirt, Primula looking up at him with a sickeningly worried look on her face. Rin nodded. Together they stood up and made for the door.

"Rin-san! What's wrong?" Sia asked, starting to get up herself.

"I think something happened to Nerine," he said, giving her a long, hard stare. Sia gulped, this wasn't some paranoid precognition…the look in their eyes was true to their word.

As a unit everyone got up, quickly walking out the door and down the hall.

"Is Nabe-san still with the teacher?" Kareha asked. Rin nodded, more focused on the task at hand

"Rin-kun! Rin-kun!" a voice chimed out to him. Turning around, the group saw Watanabe running towards them in a panic, sweat dripping down his face.

"Watanabe…what's wrong?" Rin asked.

"Anthony-sensei…he's gone…" Watanabe gasped out.

"Wh…What did you say?" Rin asked.

"As I was getting close to his door…I heard a lot of movement and banging around. I thought he was having a seizure, but as I opened the door I heard the window open. He was gone before I even had the chance to stop him."

"Oh dear…" Kaede muttered nervously.

"What in the world could have gotten into him?" Itsuki said.

"Not to sound rude…but I'm more worried about Nerine," Sia said, fidgeting nervously. Rin agreed.

"Let's hurry, if we get outside before it gets too bad we might be able to…"

The lights flickered in the hotel, before blacking out completely. The girls screamed and grabbed the nearest person they could.

"Is everyone all right?!" Rin yelled. Collective responses of "Yes" "I'm fine" and "Uh-huh" were counted enough to make for all of them. "Ok, everyone grab a hand and follow me."

Using his free hand to feel the edge of the hall, he judged the best he could to the hotel proper, leading out to the outside. As they neared it, they heard Maoh yelling.

"Eustoma! Let me go!"

"Mabo! It's too dangerous out there!" a frustrated Shin yelled. Following the voices, the group made their way out to the hotel proper, where Shin and Maoh stood in front of the large glass windows, their silhouettes marked by the slightly lighter outside.

"Father! What's wrong?" Sia yelled, as she made her way to him.

"Sia-chan." He wrapped his arms around Sia as she got near him.

"What's wrong Maoh-sama?" Rin asked as he walked up to him. He was practically biting his fingers off starting at the nails.

"Rin-dono …I dunno, I just got this bad…horrible feeling that something happened to Nerine."

Rin felt his heart sunk, this wasn't just coincidence. Hurriedly, he rushed for the door, flinging it open, which caused a torrent of noise from the storm outside to escape inside. He didn't get one step out before he felt a large pair of arms wrap his arms over his head and hold him tight.

"What are you doing?! Let me go!" He yelled, desperately kicking and thrashing back and forth to break Watanabe's grip.

"Get some sense! You can't go out in this!" Watanabe yelled back, more so to overpower the noise of the hurricane than to calm Rin.

"Maoh felt it! Primula felt it! I felt it! Something happened to Nerine when she went out to get our stuff!"

"What?!" Maoh yelled, "Nerine went out in this weather?!"

"We couldn't stop her…" Primula intervened, "It was much quieter a couple minutes ago! And she was gone before we could stop her!"

Maoh bit down harder on his finger, actually drawing blood this time. All the while, Rin searched desperately for a foothold to break Watanabe's grip.

"She's going to get hurt! Or worse!"

"And if you go out there you'll be dead! You're too valuable for us to do that!"

"And what about Nerine?! Doesn't she have any value to you?!"

"That's not what I meant! What I meant was…if something happens to you too it'll all be in vain! Besides, Anthony went out to find her and…"

"What?! He did?!"

"He-He has an open window to the beach! He probably looked outside, saw her, and ran out to rescue her! I can't think of any other reason why he would run out into this weather!"

"I'm going to find her! I'm going to save her! Get off…!"

In a terrifying smash, a large bench set shattered into a hundred pieces right before their eyes. There were none at the immediate entrance to the hotel, so that could only mean that it had flown from elsewhere. Rin watched in horror as the fragmented shards of the once-bench flew off beyond eyesight, the wind slashing his face with tremendous force.

"Ne…Ne…Nerine-chan…" Rin gasped out weakly as he felt his feet being dragged back into the hotel.

"She'll be fine! We won't do her any good if we're dead! As soon as the weather calms down we'll all go out and look for her!"

-----------------

The rip tide is as powerful as what they said it was. The wave that had knocked Nerine over also carried with it an overwhelming force to drag her back into the sea's depth. By mere force of will was she able to keep her head above water, but despite her previous attempts to show off Rin her swimming ability, this was far beyond her ability, and her arms and legs were becoming immensely tired.

Gasping for breath, her head breached the surface in what was to her the fifth time that she thought would be her last. The waves crashed into her head and body, lifting her out of the ocean only to slam her back into it. The salt and minerals in the sea burned her eyes and parched her throat as more and more of it was shoved down into her mouth and down her stomach. Her head breached after she thought for the sixth time that it wouldn't. She was getting tired…she was getting so very, very tired.

Rin's visage appeared before her, as she reached up out of the water to grab for it, hoping that he would save her.

"Rin-sama…" she weakly whispered as her head went under water again, the seventh time turning out to be true.

Her legs gave out; her entire body gave up. The only thing she could do was stretch her one arm up in hope that Rin would save her. Of course, she knew that wouldn't be true. Before she went under she saw how horrible the weather was…she prayed that Rin didn't go out to look for her…that no one did. Deep in her heart, she had a feeling that he tried, and that's all that mattered to her. She grew up loving Rin, and she would die loving him. Rin thinking of her in her final moments of life were a happy one to her. She almost believed that Rin was above her, his long hair being thrown in the water as his hand reached out and tightly grabbed onto her wrist, yanking her up.

--------------

"_Let me out! Please let me out!"_

Nerine opened her eyes, surrounded by darkness. Where was this place? It was…frightening…terrifying….

"_It's dark! I'm scared! Please let me out!"_

Looking up she saw what she thought was a light. Just a sliver of it, running the length of a doorway she thought? Shadows were moving vividly on the other side, at times blocking the entire amount of light and at other times not at all.

"_What did I do wrong?! I promise I'll be good! Just please let me out!"_

The shadows had noise to them…loud, fierce, painful noise. Yelling, grunting, gunshots and another noise…something that was indistinguishable to her. It was a random noise; it didn't really have one distinct sound. Sometimes it had a ripping sound; sometimes it was a cracking sound, at others it was just a faint moan followed by a soft thump. Whatever it was, there was a lot of it.

BANG!

One final gunshot was heard and a loud grunt immediately after that. Nerine could feel herself staring at the doorway, frozen with fear. She heard someone yell, "She's in here!" There was a long pause and then that distinct but indistinguishable noise again.

"_Please let me out!"_

"_STAY IN THERE AND DON'T COME OUT!"_

"Rin-sama!" Nerine said, bolting out of her bed. She couldn't stop panting, tears steadily streaming down her cheek. The crying wouldn't stop either.

"What…was that…?" she asked herself, continuing to wipe away at her face. Why she yelled out Rin's name, she didn't know. Was it him that was outside the door? No, it wasn't. His name was the first that came to her mind, the person she had gone to for most of her life. The one person she loved more than anyone.

Then…what did she really want to say? Brian? Braimi?

Looking up, she noticed something odd. This wasn't the hotel. This wasn't familiar in the least. This wasn't the cold water of the ocean…

The cold hit her like a bucket of ice, immediately wrapping her naked arms hoping that she could warm herself up. Where was she? Was she dead? The flashbacks came pouring into her mind, the water overflowing her mouth and lungs, the thunderous noises of the storm overhead and of the sea around her. Was this Heaven? Hell? Purgatory? Or something far different? She hadn't done anything wrong to deserve Hell, or even Purgatory…did she? The cold was only getting worse, wrapping the blanket that lied around her waist over her arms.

It didn't matter where she was…she was dead. How could she be in Heaven without Rin by her side? To her living was Heaven. This was the afterlife…not Heaven or Hell. She didn't accept death, so she stood in between the worlds…forever to wander them…

A blanket?

Nerine twisted in the bed, looking every which way. She wasn't dead after all…this was someone's house. A very shabby house at that, although quaint. Soft breathing came from her side, as she turned her to head to look at what was making the noise.

Nerine nearly jumped out of bed when she saw Rin's figure, hunched over in a quiet, peaceful slumber.

"Ri…Rin-sama?" She quietly said under her breath. There he was in front of her, as handsome as he ever was. She put her hands to her mouth, desperately sniffing back the tears that had started to flow from her eyes again. Even in his sleep he looked exhausted, how long had he been searching for her?

A faint whistle came from her feet.

"_Pr-Primula-chan too?!"_ Nerine thought, looking at the top half of her figure spread out over the feet of the bed. She too, looked like hell, her hair mussed up and the same exhausted look in her face. Exhausted, but sound asleep.

She began to sniffle harder as she gazed around the room. Lying against the wall, several feet away from Rin were Itsuki and Mayumi, Mayumi resting gently under Itsuki's arm. Sia and Kareha also laid in a lump closer to a tiny doorway that was the only noticeable thing about this room, other than all of her beloved friends. The sniffling had resorted to snorting, the tears never stopping once.

Slowly, she reached out her hand to Rin, brushing his hair gently, "Rin-sama?"

No response, he was fast asleep. The tears had slowed down, although they still came. There were some noises coming through the doorway, some metal clattering and the shuffling of feet. Getting up, she realized just how much she had strained herself. Her legs almost gave way to her weight, which wasn't much by any means. Still she managed, as she tiptoed to the door, opening it up. On the other side was Watanabe in a cook's smock and stirring some liquid that was in a pan over the oven. This was the first time Nerine had seen him so…calm and serene.

"Here I'll get that," he said, moving over and behind someone, an older, shorter woman of around fifty. She too wore a cook's smock, with a white cloth wrapped around her hair. Watanabe picked up a whisk and began beating what Nerine knew was eggs, as she had done it so often in the past. The door creaked, and both of them turned their heads to look at her. She shrunk back, abashed for ruining their preparation. But neither of them minded, both of them giving a big smile and waving at her, Watanabe using the hand that held the whisk. A slight smile on her face, her cheeks glowing, she stepped out from behind the door and wearily walked over to them

"Easy dear," the older woman said, "You're sill exhausted from earlier. You should still get some rest."

"Don't worry about breakfast Rin-chan," Watanabe said, continuing to mix the eggs, "Me and obaa-chan **(informal "grandma")** have it all settled."

The older woman chuckled, "Nabe-san, you shouldn't be so casual when talking to me."

"Oh come on obaa-chan, I feel like I've known you my whole life," Watanabe replied, smiling at her. She just laughed more.

Nerine looked around the room some more, still quite quaint and compact. In front of the gas stove was a tiny table, no bigger than to seat four people. On one side was Shin, a snot bubble coming out of his nose as he dozed silently. Across from him was Kaede, her face planted firmly between her crossed arms, looking just as tired as everyone else.

"Poor girl wanted to help cook, but she didn't have the strength to lift up a spoon. The moment the rain became manageable, Rin and your father bolted out the door didn't even take a paper to cover themselves with. Of course, neither did any of us. We looked everywhere that we possibly could within a distance. We must have been out there for hours, no rest…none of us. It would be unfair to say that none of us worked harder than the rest…but there were two," he looked past her, to the sleeping Rin, "He's the one that found you, two miles from the hotel. It's amazing that this little cottage could stand up to the rain, mush less the wind."

"I built this house years ago!" a surly voice called out from the other side of the room, "This is nothing compared to what I used to build!" Looking over, Nerine saw an old god, no older than the woman. He was a bit rounded, but despite the signs of age he was at one point a very muscular man. Sulking, he looked up from his book and glared at Nerine.

"Don't let his bitter attitude spoil you," the old woman said, smiling, "Deep down he's a big softie, probably got one of the biggest hearts you'll ever see." Nerine heard him snort in disgust, "He even gave you his bed to sleep in he was so worried."

"The only reason I did was because that punk was on his hands and knees, begging at the top of his lungs to let you stay here. Mother's bed certainly wasn't big enough to hold someone as large as you, so I really had no choice."

"Rin-sama…was begging…?" Nerine asked, beginning to feel flustered.

"Who? That young man in there?" The old woman asked, looking back into the room. Nerine nodded, the woman shaking her head, "He was certainly the first one to get here, him and Nabe-san next to me. But he certainly wasn't the one who brought you here."

"Eh?"

"Punks thinking that growing their hair out like women. I've never seen a man with such long hair," the old man said.

"Oh I thought he was quite dashing," the old woman said, reminiscing, "All the men with long hair I saw growing up were old and unsightly."

"Hmph!"

"Long…hair?" Nerine asked again, feeling completely bewildered. In a flash it came to her…as she was going under the water, she saw Rin diving down after her, a worried look on his face, his long hair flowing through the…

That's what was odd. Rin's hair had never been long; this must have been someone completely different.

"Tell me…what else did he look like?" She asked cautiously.

"Oh dear…" the old woman said, looking at her husband, "I don't know if we should tell her."

"It's no business of mine."

The old woman fretted, placing her hand to her cheek, "Oh my…I'm sorry dear, it's not that we don't want to tell you…but he asked us to keep it as vague as possible." Nerine blinked.

"Please! I'd…I'd like to thank him! I probably wouldn't even be here if it was for him, so please!"

The old woman looked intently at her, a worried look on her face. Sighing sadly, she turned back to the stove, "To be as vague as possible…he was tall. And he was a human," she smiled at Nerine, "that's all I'll tell you."

"Isn't there anything else? Like a certain facial feature? Was he thin? Muscular? What color was his hair? What color his eyes were at least?"

The old man shifted uncomfortably in his chair, slightly grunting.

"I'm sorry dear…I didn't see his eyes. Only my husband…"

"Sakuya…" he interrupted her, turning a page of his book. Nerine took a couple steps towards him.

"Anything…"

He looked up at her, his eyes peeking over the rim of his reading glasses. There was a long pause before he finally spoke, "I'm an old man, I don't trust anyone unless I look into his or her eyes. Which is why I don't trust this one completely over there," he pointed to Watanabe, who politely flipped him off. "He was hesitant until I told him you'd have to wait outside, he…didn't even give it a second thought," he turned another page of his book, "He had honest eyes. Honest and…frightening."

Nerine felt a little embarrassed for being so pushy, but only one person she knew would have a phobia for eyes. Still…him? It didn't make sense, it made more sense that someone would have seen her fall into the ocean and saved her. And yet…

"Rin-chan…"

Nerine turned to her right quickly, that voice being so familiar. She was too slow. Maoh had wrapped her up in his arms before she could blink, as he squeezed tightly on her head.

"Rin-chan…" he said again, the tears coming from his eyes dripping onto his daughters head. Once again, she began to cry too, wrapping her arms around her father's bare skin and squeezing him harder than he did to her.

Nerine felt truly blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful, beautiful people. After her father let her go and he politely scolded her for going out into the storm, she walked around the tiny room quietly, giving each of them a hug and a kiss on the cheek, even Itsuki. But not Rin, when she got to Rin she bent down on her knees, staring lovingly into his gentle, sleeping face. She still remembered the calming feeling she got as she lost consciousness in the ocean…the feeling that Rin had her in his thoughts the entire time. Reaching in with her hand, she gently touched his face as she brought hers closer.

"Let me love you more Rin-sama…" she whispered as her lips closed onto his, kissing him in a manner so soft and gentle that Rin didn't wake up from but firm enough that Nerine could proudly say that her first kiss was joyous beyond comparison.

---------------

The hot sun beat down on the beach, and the forest that stretched out from the edge of the beach. For such a horrendous storm the calm that had followed and the pure heat of the weather made people wonder if there was ever a storm at all. Deep in the forest, sitting in direct view of the sun, was Anthony.

Breathing shallowly, his weather-beaten hair dripped in front of his face, hanging his head in pain. He couldn't move, couldn't even breathe properly. His muscles throbbed with pain at every beat of his heart, his fingers twitching every so often. Wet leaves hung off his body, dirt covering most of his legs and part of his hands, his skin being reduced to a dry, flaky mess.

A shuffling of the brush surrounding him halted his breathing, slightly raising his head to the noise. A shadow cast over him, a medium figured humanoid. Anthony's breathing returned to normal.

"Lucien…is that you?" he asked wearily.

Through his eyes, all he could see was a bright blur, which only got brighter as the figure bent down.

**END**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: _Shuffle!_ and all of its characters are property of outside companies and I claim no ownership of any of them.

**_Shuffle! Hope_**

Some time had passed since the group went on their trip to the ocean and had in some way or another survived their fiasco with the storm. Kaede and Primula had taken up their normal routine of keeping the house clean and in order while taking some time off every so often to spend time with Sia, Nerine, Rin, Kareha or a mix of them. Sia had spent less time at home and with her friends, while spending a lot more time at the Art Club in the school with her fellow club members. Nerine was flighty at times, but for the most part would always have time in her schedule to make dinner with Kaede, or spend time with Rin and the others. Kareha was almost unheard of as the month drew to its closing and halfway through August. Itsuki was a random encounter, as was Mayumi ever since the summer classes in school let out, enjoying her free time to its fullest degree. Nobody other than Rin and on occasion Kareha, saw Watanabe at all. Relaying the information to the others, Rin and Kareha would say he was the same as always, Rin more morose about it and Kareha bubblier about it. Anthony returned immediately after the beach, but had done a good job avoiding contact with anyone, which only made the group more suspicious about him. Rin still took time off to see the girls, and on occasion Itsuki. But lately, near the end of August, Sia, Nerine, Primula, and Kaede had been seeing a lot less of him…

Rin leaned against the light post near the corner of an intersection, the unmerciful noon sun beating down on him. The thought about running to the shaded awning some ways further down from him had crossed his mind, but he had promised someone that he would be waiting here for her. It wasn't that hot of a day anyway.

Turning his wrist over to look at his watch, he noticed that the time of day was exactly what he had planned with her. Arriving early wasn't that big of a deal to him, he had waited for Asa so many time in the past before that his patience was limitless.

"Rin-chan!" a perky voice called out to him. Face brightening up, he turned around and waved, as Kareha bounded merrily towards him, her hand raised high in the air. She stopped as soon as she got to him, sweating, but not out of breath, "Are you ready to go?"

Rin nodded, "Yes, where would you like to go today?"

Kareha started walking again, Rin turning around to walk beside her, "Let's see…there's a new CD that I wanted to buy! Do you mind going shopping with me?"

"Not at all. Who's the artist?"

"Ah! Her name's Yuria. Have you heard of her?"

Looking up in the sky, deep in thought, Rin replied, "Nope. Never heard of her."

Somewhere in the city, Ama suddenly felt depressed for some reason.

Rin, for the past couple weeks, had been going on repeated dates with Kareha. He wasn't sure what immediately attracted him to her, but he enjoyed the moments they spent together the past several days. Remembering back, some time after the group returned home from their beach trip Kareha had given him the number to her new cell phone. He didn't call for a couple days, but after a while he started talking more and more to Kareha. Mostly just catching up, what college was like, how her parents were doing, how her sister was, what Asa had been up to. Things that Rin was curious to know about her.

On their way to the record store, their current conversation had dropped off. Not feeling any particular uneasiness between them, the silence was still a chance for Rin to talk to her more.

"So what kind of grades has Asa been getting in school?" He asked.

"Let me see…last time I talked to her, her marks were among the best in her class, she's really been doing well for herself!"

"I see," Rin said with a smile, happy to be talking to Kareha, "Did she change her major?"

"Nope, she's still a History student."

Rin laughed, "I still think that's an unnatural profession for her."

Kareha laughed as well, "So do I! I tease her about it all the time!"

----------------

"You know Nerine…" Kaede told her, as the two of them, Primula and Sia walked towards their school, "You don't have to go if you don't want to."

Nerine sighed, "I'll be ok. Besides I haven't been to the pool in a long time, it'll be nice to go swimming in it."

"Rin-chan, that's not what she meant," Sia said.

"I'll be fine, I promise. By the way Sia-chan," she said to her, noticing that under her arm she carried her painting and a bag of her supplies, "Aren't you going swimming with us?"

"Eh? Oh I will, just not for very long," she replied with a smile, "I've been really busy with my Art Club recently, and I just get so excited when I start to paint."

"You've become really good Sia-chan," Kaede said, which made Sia giggle.

"You think?" Her smile quickly turned, as Sia looked down at the ground with slight depression, "But…Rin-kun hasn't been around lately, and I so wanted to show him this." Holding out her painting, she sighed. On the canvas was the setting sun set against the bright blue waters of the ocean, their colors merging into a beautiful rainbow where the two met, "I wonder what he's doing."

"Should we go get him?" Primula asked.

"I...I don't want to disturb him," Nerine mumbled, clearly showing that she was lying to the others and herself. As Primula opened her mouth to intervene, Kaede placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her head.

"Rin-kun has his own life now…it's painful and sometimes lonely…but we have to accept that."

"Kaede-chan…" Primula whispered.

"Besides," Kaede forced a smile, "It's not like he doesn't spend any time with us."

Sia laughed, waving them off, "We'll be fine! We don't need Rin-kun here to have a good time."

Everyone stopped in their tracks, giving Sia a curious look. It wasn't so much what she said, as the way she said it. Certainly it was possible that something similar to that was going to be said, and if anyone was going to do it, they thought, Sia would be the one. But they never thought it could happen.

"What?" She asked, a puzzled look on her face, "I'm not saying I don't want Rin here…" she began to fidget nervously, "It's just that…we don't need him here."

Still, the girls looked at her, now more worried and nervous than curious. It didn't take long for Sia to catch onto this, as she shook hr head wildly and grabbed the two nearest arms she could find, dragging them towards the school.

"Come on! Come on!" She yelled with a smile, "The pool isn't going to stay open for us all day!"

Primula and Nerine yelling to Sia to let go, Kaede trying to catch up with them, the group quickly made their way to the school once again.

---------------

Some time had passed since they reached the school, the girls enjoying fun water games and splashing each other. Sia had left twenty minutes into the pool, apologizing for having to leave so soon due to her Art Club. Although one less, the day was still enjoyable to the girls as Kaede and Primula helped Nerine improve her swimming, now that she was more determined than ever to improve her skills after the incident last month. During the break, the girls all lounged around the pool, soaking in the summer sun.

Nerine sighed, looking discontent. She looked to Kaede and Primula, both of them lying on their stomachs, eyes closed and gently dozing away the afternoon. Nerine was restless and for good reason. Quietly she rose to her feet, tiptoeing past the other two and into the building.

For some reason, the hallway in the school seemed longer and more ominous than usual. Perhaps because she was alone, perhaps because no one was there, perhaps because she was scared of the man in the room she stood before.

Inside Nerine could hear the rustling of feet, the scraping of glass, and even a faint hissing sound. She gulped, raising her hand to the door and knocking on it.

"Come in," a sultry voice answered her. Slowly she opened the door, peeking in first. Anthony was bent over in front of a array of test tubes, Erlenmeyer flasks, and other various equipment that Nerine was unfamiliar with.

Was she? For a moment Nerine thought that he wasn't wearing any glasses, and his white hair was…brighter than before. Blinking, she realized that the chlorine of the pool was just affecting her, she was getting tired.

"Um…Anthony-sensei…"

Nerine was sure that she saw him jump, his face made round by the glasses looking at her.

"Nerine-sam…" he coughed, returning to his work, "What do you want?"

"Um…" she stumbled over her words, "I just wanted to say…thank you for…"

"As your friends have told you since I've told them, I had nothing to do with that. It was mere coincidence that this man who saved you happened to have similar hair that I do. Watanabe-san just heard me going to the restroom, and he had assumed the worst when he saw my window opened."

"But why would…?"

"I happen to like the sound of storms and my room was too stuffy," he snapped at her, pausing momentarily in his work although his eyes never leaving his workstation, "Besides, my body may look young but my spirit isn't. If anyone really did come to save you, their physical being would have to be in top shape and if you hadn't noticed, I can't see very well. If someone did save you, his actions were commendable but the only thing more damned foolish than jumping in the middle of torrent waters to save you, is to actually go out near the beachside and create such a dangerous situation as that!"

Nerine was terrified; he had always been callous to her but never in such a manner. In a sense he was right and that only made Nerine feel more ashamed about herself, but he didn't have to put it so rudely. She could have died!

The sound of working continued, as he took a small rod and gently scrapped residue that lined one of his test tubes, "You should be grateful."

Nerine shrunk back, just feeling more and more embarrassed. He had always made her feel uncomfortable around him, it took all her courage just to talk to him right now.

"I am…" she whispered so low that he barely heard her. And in a moment's eye, she disappeared from the room.

Nerine didn't feel like going swimming anymore, she didn't feel like doing much of anything today. As much as she loved her Kaede and Primula, they were no replacement for Rin, whom she really missed. And Sia too, she was going off on her own now, meeting lots of new people and making friends with everyone. Sure, Nerine knew that she herself was more open and a lot more sociable than what she had been in the past, but she never had a strong desire to form social circles outside of her current friends. She had lots of friends, but not the same kind as Kaede, Sia, Primula, and most importantly, Rin.

For a moment Nerine thought she heard laughter. Stopping, she peered cautiously at the door in front of her. Indeed she did hear laughter, two kinds, one was the giggling of a girl and the other a soft, gentle chuckle of a boy. Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she began to tiptoe to the doorframe, peeking inside.

Inside was Sia and the Art Club President, Gyouji Bernshaw, whom Nerine still did not trust. As she looked in on them, she noticed the both of them laughing and carrying on as if they were a couple. Not really hearing much of their conversation, she realized how bright Sia's smile was as Gyouji continued to tell her jokes and funny stories. The laughter died down, but their smiles didn't, as the both of them continued to work on their painting they had in front of them. Sia still painting the setting sun against the ocean, finishing up some color from what she Nerine could see. Gyouji had his canvas pointed away from Nerine so she couldn't determine what he was painting, but the way he kept looking at Sia made her wonder…

Sia hid behind her canvas, shyly peeking out from around the edge, "I really wish you wouldn't paint me."

Nerine gasped slightly, thankfully no one heard her.

Gyouji didn't pay much attention to her, as he continued to smile and stroke the canvas, "You were the one who had the idea of drawing straws to see who would paint what. It wasn't my fault I drew a portrait painting."

Nerine could see Sia blush, trying to hide behind her painting, "That doesn't mean it should be me…"

He chuckled, "And why not?"

Sia didn't answer, smiling slightly as she tried to return to her painting.

The walk back to the pool was entirely too long for Nerine.

---------------------------

When Sia finally left the school after she was done in the Art Club, Nerine, Kaede, or Primula were nowhere to be found. It was to be expected, however, Sia thought to herself as she walked home alone, the sun still high in the sky but the day getting a little bit cooler. In fact she sort of enjoyed it. Gyouji had offered to walk her home, but Sia declined, wanting to be lost in her thoughts for a while. She didn't dare tell him that he was part of what she wanted to think about.

It wasn't that she didn't like him, nor that he didn't make her laugh and feel happy at times, but one man was still on her mind constantly, no matter where he was.

Tsuchimi Rin.

Gyouji was a fine young man. Had she never met Rin, Sia would have probably fallen for him. Smart, funny, charming, he was the envy of many men and the desire of many women, yet why couldn't Sia see herself being with him.

Tsuchimi Rin of course.

_"I deserve happiness..."_ Sia thought to herself, sighing longingly for her love that was nowhere to be found. Yet in the back of her mind she knew that this was normal of Rin. How could she be selfish when several of her best friends also felt the same way she did? This was certainly not the last time these thoughts had crossed her mind, nor would they be the last, nor was she the only one who thought this way. Maybe she should broaden her options...maybe she should give Gyouji a chance...

Maybe...

_"Sia-chan, what are you doing?" Rin asked, walking behind her as she stroked the canvas with her paintbrush. _

"Rin-san!" She yelled in joy, turning her head around to look at him, "I'm just doing a little landscape painting. It's for the Art Club that I joined."

"Wow! You're quite a talented painter Sia-chan!"

Blushing, she clasped her hands to her cheek and swayed slightly, "Rin-san, you're being too kind..." she took her hands off, looking at her painting, "I do enjoy painting though...it gives me a great sense of satisfaction and it's so calming. I wonder if..." she stopped, looking up at Rin who's eyes bulged out, a big smile on his face as he tried desperately not to laugh, "What? What is it?!"

Rin couldn't contain himself, bending over laughing. Sia panicked, looking around her trying to figure out what was so funny. Then she looked at her hands. There was a smear of red paint on her right hand, which means there was a nice long red streak of paint running across her cheek.

"Ahh! I got paint on my face!" Yelling, digging through her things furiously.

But Rin had already found what she was looking for, a slightly wet rag. bending down so he could be below eye level to her, he held her chin with one hand, and with the other gently dabbed her cheek with the rag in hand, causing her eye to squint.

"I'm sorry I laughed at you Sia-chan, you just looked so silly with that big smear of paint on your face."

Sia smiled beautifully, from what Rin could tell, her face turning slightly red with embarrassment and joy as Rin began to finish up cleaning up her mess, "Thank you Rin-kun..." she whispered, gently placing her hand against the one of her cheek.

Rin blushed, turning away from her, "D-Don't worry about it."

Maybe not...

From across the street, a vision caught her eye, a familiar, perky voice and bright golden hair. Thinking it was Kareha, she turned around to see if it was. She was right. There was Kareha, standing with her hands behind her back and smiling wide, almost as if she waited for someone. A feeling of relief and joy came over Sia, as she raised her hand in the air and took a deep breath to call out for her. But…

Who was that beside her?

Sia's eyes widened with despair as he stepped into her view. Kareha wasn't waiting for someone, she was talking to someone. And that someone happened to be Rin.

She had dealt through him and Asa, and although it was painful it was nothing compared to what she felt now. Was he sneaking around behind them? Were they on a date? Was he in love with her? Visual images and other unpleasant thoughts, which to Sia all sounded plausible, were assaulting her mind. She knew she didn't have a right to interfere with his personal life, she knew that there was a chance Rin would fall in love with someone else, she even knew that it was possible those two were just catching up on good times.

But it didn't make it hurt any less, Sia knew something wasn't right. Lowering her hand, she quickly and silently snuck away from them, hoping they wouldn't see her.

-------------------------------

"Kareha-san, what flavored ice cream would you like?" Rin asked as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of coins.

She hummed, lost in thought, "Mmmm….I know! Strawberry!"

"Ok then," Rin walked up to the vendor, "One strawberry and one caramel please."

As the vendor started to scoop out their individual ice creams, Kareha looked at Rin interestingly, continuing to look at him until he sat down.

"That's an odd flavor," she exclaimed with a smile, taking a lick of her ice cream.

"You think so? Chocolate is usually my favorite, but I felt like something different today…and I remembered that this was Asa's favorite ice cream so I decided to try it out.

"I see…" Kareha said, sounding a bit disappointed. They sat in silence for a couple minutes, enjoying their ice cream until Rin spoke up.

"So is strawberry your favorite Kareha-san?" he asked, looking at her. She smiled wide and nodded.

"I have such sporadic tastes, last summer it was vanilla, and a month ago it was chocolate," immediately after she said that, a sharp pain ran through her head. Placing her hand to her forehead, she muttered "Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow…"

Rin just laughed at her brain freeze, "Got to be careful not to eat the ice cream so fast Kareha-san."

She stuck her tongue out and bopped her head, finishing her ice cream a little bit slower now.

Rin sighed nostalgically, "Asa used to do the same thing, except that she would try and blame me for not slowing her down. Speaking of which, do you know what she had planned for summer break?"

"Uh no not really," she replied, quickly trying to change the topic, "So Rin, the day's still young. Is there anything else you'd like to do today?"

"Well…there is a place me and Asa used to go to and…"

"I see…" Kareha muttered, interrupting him. Rin stopped in mid-sentence, looking at her sulking head curiously. Then she raised her head, a big smile on her face, "You know what, I just remembered I have a previous engagement with mama, so I'll be going off a little early today."

"Oh okay Kareha-san…so would it be alright if I called you later tonight?" He asked as he stood up with Kareha, facing each other.

"Absolutely!" she said in a ecstatic tone. As she turned to walk away, she felt a pressure wrap around her hand. She looked back at Rin, who had a soft grip on her hand. Although he was too embarrassed to look at her, inside Kareha felt extremely happy.

Gently their hands separated and Kareha bounced away from him, waving until she was out of sight. When she was out of sight, Kareha placed her hand to her chest and sighed, feeling exasperated and at the same time relieved. She wrapped the hand Rin didn't hold around the one he did, a slight blush spreading across her face. Then a shadow cast over her.

He was huge, slender, and beautiful. His long, gray hair was tied in a ponytail that swayed from shoulder to shoulder, which was an amazing length. A lengthy pair of khaki's encompassed his entire legs and he wore a long-sleeved, button-down shirt with no distinguishing pattern. But with his left hand he had a tight grip on the side of the waist of his pants, looking like he was holding them up.

Kareha watched him in amazement as he walked by, his magnificent figure leaving her breathless. Then he stopped, and he stood there for what seemed like eternity to Kareha.

She gulped, his presence eerily frightening to her. With his hand still attached firmly to his pants, he ever so slightly turned his head so the corner of his eye caught her attention.

"Do you deserve to be treated like that?" his soft, deep voice boomed in her ear. Kareha could feel all her body functions stop, or so it would seem. Wide-eyed, she could do or say nothing as he turned around and walked away, like it was his own business.

The further he got away from her, the more Kareha could feel her breathing return, never really returning to normal until he was completely gone. He was beautiful, frightening…and worse of all…he was right

---------------------------------------------

Sia ran past her starving father, who was desperate to get something…anything in his stomach. Since Sia had been spending more and more time at this Art Club of hers at school, she had been returning home later and later and poor Shin was withering away little by little. Of course he was worried about his daughter…but his rumbling stomach made him reconsider learning to cook for himself.

The bed in Sia's room was assaulted with her falling body, as she buried her head into a mixture of pillows and blankets. Tears wanted to spill from her eyes but at the same time she couldn't. She knew she didn't have any reason to be upset, jealous, any negative emotions towards Rin or Kareha. She knew she didn't even know the entire situation, and yet her heart ached. After several minutes of keeping her head buried in the pillow, she raised it up and looked at the little compact mirror that was sitting on her nightstand.

"Maybe I should forget about Rin-san…" she whispered to herself. But the thought of that only made her heart hurt more.

"Is that what you really want?" her slanted-eye reflection in the mirror asked her rhetorically. Sia's eyes widened, pushing herself to her knees and wiping away the slight dew that had formed around the edge of her eyelids.

"It's not that…it's just that I deserve happiness too don't I?"

"So is cutting Rin out of your life the best way to do that?"

Sia's body jolted. This was a conversation she had in the past, and the inevitable series of events that lead afterwards. Except that this time she didn't see Kikyo going on a perverted rampage. Nevertheless, she had to answer her, "You wanted my happiness too though…"

"Of course I do!" she shouted at herself, infuriated. Her body cringed.

"But…but…"

"If I truly believed your intentions then my feelings wouldn't be an issue. Your happiness is the only thing I care about, for each pang of pain you feel I feel it double."

"Sister…."

"But this is not the Sia-chan I know, this isn't my beautiful sister. Giving up so easily like this, admitting less than what she's worth."

Sia wrapped her blanket around her legs, dragging it up so she could cover her face. Her voice, although muffled, pulsated in her ears.

"Is this Bernshaw a better man than Rin? Or is he a replacement for him? You really don't feel the same way about him as you do for Rin, do you?"

"In time I…"

"Don't lie to me sister. My thoughts and yours are connected. And I know that…Rin's heart is still open."

Her voice subdued, the feeling coming over Sia's body residing back within herself. In darkness she at in her room, wrapped in her blankets and her own self-pity. What was the best thing for Sia? She would spend all night thinking about it.

--------------------------------

"So did you enjoy the movie?" Rin asked as he took a VHS tape from Watanabe, who just turned his head away from Rin and sighed, raising his hands to head level.

"It was dull and mundane, and I couldn't get into the story at all. The only good thing was the actress…"

A vein started to emerge from Rin's forehead, "Alright I get it."

"So Rin…" Watanabe muttered, his back turned to him as he was about to head out for his apartment, "Are you and Kareha dating now?"

Rin's face turned red, as he laughed and scratched the back of his head, "Well I wouldn't call it 'dating' per se…but yeah we have been on a couple dates."

Watanabe was silent, his back still to Rin. Rin wondered what was the look on his face was, until he spoke, "I see…"

Rin smiled, thinking this was just another childish prank of his, "What are you jealous?"

But Watanabe didn't joke back. Didn't even look back at him, "I told you…she's not my type." The seriousness in his voice made Rin realize that he might have upset him, how and why was still a mystery to him, "Can I ask something personal? You don't have to answer."

"Huh? No go ahead, it's ok."

Watanabe looked back at him, the joking face of his replaced by one of modest sincerity, "Do you talk to Kareha about Asa?"

"That's a weird question. Um…not really, I might mention her in passing conversation, but nothing out of the ordinary. Why?"

"No reason. I'll see ya later," he answered him, finally walking off and giving him a quick wave.

Rin watched with quiet contemplation as Watanabe went into his apartment, disappearing from his sight and hearing. Even as he closed the door Rin wondered what Watanabe was getting at.

**END**

Once again I apologize for taking so long, filler is an aspect I still have to work on, and although I don't consider this a "filler" chapter, a lot of it was not contemplated and thus wasn't as good as my original chapters has been.

Also, I am looking for a proofreader for my fanfiction, in particular _Shuffle!Hope_. If anyone is interested I would love to hear from you through e-mail only please. Requirements include being completely subjective, an open mind yet possess the ability to be very critical if need be. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, proper word usage is among a few things I look for, the rest include attention to story detail, character development, and above all else make sure to keep my OC's in check. I fear that people read the first chapter and go "new character, I'm leaving" and with the recent development of poor OC's it's understandable. Still, I want Anthony and Watanabe to not take away from the main characters, yet at the same time add an aspect to the _Shuffle!_ story that was not prevalent in the anime. Not making it better, but continuing the story for you, the reader, in one of an infinite number of possibilities, so above all else you have to look at the OC's in a negative light and make sure they do not take away from the main characters. Pay involved my gratitude and the reward of seeing how the story progresses before anyone else (except me).

And as a final note, I wish to let everyone know that if you, the reader, find something that you do not like, you do like, you want change, you want to see happen, please let me know. Although I am very critical of my work I love to hear what people think about it, whether it be bad or good, everything can be used to further improve this story. I have not given up on it, and I will make sure it will finish.

Thank you very much for sticking with this fanfiction, I truly enjoy writing it for fans of the _Shuffle!_ anime.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer_: Shuffle!_ and all original characters therein are property of outside companies; I in no way claim ownership of any of them.

**_Shuffle! Hope_**

Another beautiful day had come to the students at Verbena High School, the beautiful golden sun shining brightly down on its people. Kaede, upon wakening and seeing the warm, sunny day, knew that today would be a good day to finish cleaning the laundry. After cooking breakfast for her and Primula, she grabbed the basket full of damp sheets, T-shirts, and pants and proceeded to pin them to the clothesline, their bright colors reflecting the sun brilliantly.

Kaede took a deep breath of the summer air, and then with an exasperated breath released it all.

"Summer's almost over…" she whispered, a feeling of hopelessness crawling over her. Indeed summer was hardly a week from finishing, and Kaede dreaded the inevitable return to school. She loved seeing her friends at school and classes weren't that difficult for her, but that still didn't qualm the freedom she felt from being on summer break. Primula was inside the house, sitting at the table with a pencil in her mouth and she ground it furiously at the papers in front of her.

_"That's right…"_ Kaede thought.

Unfortunately for Kaede, she was left with a difficult decision. This was her senior year and she was expected by her father to grow to college the following spring. But what about Primula? She still had a year of school left after Kaede would be in college, could she leave her alone all the time?

No she couldn't, not because she didn't trust Primula's ability to take care of herself, she just knew how sad it is to come home to an empty house. What to do? Leave her with Nerine? She would certainly take her but Nerine's plans were still up in the air with college as well, and Sia's problems were the same. There was the possibility of going to a nearby college, but truth be told they didn't exemplify Kaede's own level on intellect. That, and, she was unsure of the universities that Rin was applying to. He had become so independent recently, would he try for a school that was further away?

Kaede shook her head; she shouldn't let her decision be decided by Rin's school. Influenced, perhaps, but not decided. Focusing her attention on Primula again, she noticed that she had her head buried in her papers and was twisting it into the tabletop. Kaede laughed nervously, a small sweatdrop running down the side of her face. She was about done with the laundry, and there was still a little bit of time to worry about her dilemma later. The large, white sheet snapped to attention as Kaede stretched it out, gently throwing it over the clothesline.

"Kaede-chan," a gentle voice called to her from the other side of the fence. Peeking over the sheet Kaede saw Nerine's face poked over the edge of it, her right hand resting comfortably on the top of it.

"Rin-chan," Kaede said with a smile, straightening out the sheet faster, "Is there something I can help you with?"

Nerine smiled and shook her head, "No, I just wanted to talk. It's a beautiful day today isn't it?"

"It sure is," Kaede replied, stepping out from behind the sheet and walking towards Nerine. She noticed something odd about her face however, "Rin-chan, you look tired. Did you get enough sleep last night?"

"Not really…" she said sheepishly, looking away from Kaede, "I keep having these awful dreams."

Kaede blinked, "What about Rin-chan?"

"I'm locked in a dark room and I'm really really scared. There's a lot of loud, painful noises from the other side of the door, but before I know what's going on I wake up."

"That sounds awful Rin-chan…do you know what it means?"

Nerine shook her head, "I don't have the slightest clue, I just wake up in a cold sweat every time."

Although she felt a bit worried for her friend, Kaede knew it didn't mean anything, "I'm sure it's nothing Rin-chan, just a bad dream is all. I still get them too from time to time."

"The same dream over again?"

"Uhhh…" Nerine had Kaede stumped that time, there was no clear answer to that. But thankfully for Kaede Nerine waved it off.

"Oh you're right, I'm sure it's nothing. It's just…probably on my mind when I go to sleep, and I just keep dreaming it. Besides, it always gets to the same spot before I wake up."

Kaede nodded, glad that Nerine was, at the least, looking a little better, "Would you like me to make you an early lunch? I was just about done hanging the clothes."

Nerine giggled, "No thank you. I just woke up actually, so I was going to make a quick breakfast for myself."

At that time, Nerine noticed something from across Kaede's yard. Smiling brightly and raising her hand up to wave, she called out Sia's name who began walking down the stone steps leading away from her house.

Sia stopped and looked over at them, a bit perplexed. She didn't come to Kaede's fence, instead walking the rest of the pathway to the road and stopping in front just along the road.

"Rin-chan! Kaede-chan!" She yelled.

"Sia-chan!" Kaede yelled back ecstatically, "Would you like me to make you an early lunch?"

Even at this distance Kaede could see Sia shake her head, turning most of her body away from them, "No thank you. I told Gyouji-san that I wanted to come in early today to get started on my painting, I already made a lunch for myself."

A disappointed look came over Nerine and Kaede's faces, who watched reluctantly as Sia began to disappear over the horizon. Kaede could hear Nerine sigh, "And that's another reason as well…"

Kaede knew what Nerine meant; Sia had been spending less and less time with them and more time painting. Kaede should have been happy that Sia was becoming so sociable to others in the school…but like everyone else she missed her terribly.

"Well Kaede, I think I will take you up on your lunch offer. Only a small lunch though, if you don't mind," Nerine broke the silence, smiling gently at Kaede. Kaede smiled back, and stretched her hand towards her back door.

"Please come inside, I'll be done in a minute. You can help Rim-chan with her homework in the meantime," she giggled, "I think she's having some trouble."

Nerine chuckled to herself, walking towards Kaede's gate and letting herself in. "Good morning Rim-chan!" She yelled as she opened the sliding glass door, slipping her shoes off.

---------------------------------

That same day, Kareha and Rin walked side by side, talking enthusiastically to each other as they continued to their next location on their date. It had only been a couple days time since their last date, and school was coming up awfully fast for the both of them, so they tried making the most out of the day they had together.

"Asa must have fallen at least two dozen times when we were on that ice rink. I didn't do much better mind you, but she was so sore by the end of the day," Rin said, a large smile on his face.

Kareha's smile began to fade, as she looked away from Rin and muttered, "I'd imagine so…"

"So Kareha-san, where would you like to go next?"

This seemed to brighten Kareha up a lot, placing her finger to her chin and thinking, "Let's see…mmmm, I can't really think of anything off the top of my head but…"

"Oh I know! Let's go to Ishikawa's. It's a ramen stand that me and Asa…"

"I'm not hungry," Kareha blurted out unexpectedly, trying to keep a calm demeanor. She shook her head and smiled at Rin, "Let's go to an arcade. There's one near here that I'd really like to go visit"

Rin began to look increasingly downtrodden, the smile on his face fading away. He gained his spark back quickly though, as he forced a smile for Kareha, "Sounds good to me. We'll grab lunch afterwards."

Kareha nodded, "Sounds good to me. But you're paying!"

"Only if I lose!" Both Kareha and Rin laughed, beginning to enjoy themselves a little more.

The walk to the arcade, although not eventful, went smoothly nonetheless. They talked about the usual, family, school, friends, whatever came to their minds. The conversations as they neared the arcade, the two of them daring to hold each other's hand, causing an uneasy but satisfying silence.

They started off their arcade adventure with a duel of Super Fighta, Kareha continuously taunting and teasing Rin from the other side of the arcade machine, who growled lowly at every wrong move he made. After seven matches, Kareha bounced around from the other side with a large smile on her face. Rin only had crushing defeat writing on his, looking up at Kareha over his arms. She cocked her head slightly and giggled

The following hour was spent pretty much the same way, Kareha and Rin ending up in epic duels that tested each other's ability to move a joystick and press buttons, usually Kareha coming out in the victor while Rin sulked in defeat. When they weren't battling one-on-one, they would play at each others side in a cooperative game, or they would try their luck at the grab machine, which to their dismay neither one was good at. But it didn't affect their moods at all, both of them laughing at each other's futile but sweet attempts to win the other a gift. Eventually, the date budget began to run low and the two hid away at a nearby café.

"That was fun!" Kareha yelled, stretching her arms out across the table towards Rin. Rin smiled and sipped on his drink.

"I have to say, it's been a long time since I've had this much fun on a date," Kareha sipped on her drink, smiling, "It's just like when me and Asa were still dating."

The smile on Kareha's lipped faded, as she could audibly hear Rin talking about Asa and their past history together. Where they've been, what they liked to do the most…. Her head began to bow slightly, just enough so that her face below her eyes were covered in a dark shadow. She couldn't blame him for it, the way he talked so enthusiastically about Asa. Still, he was on a date with her, so she was within her right to get upset.

"Rin-san?" Kareha politely asked, interrupting him in mid-speech. He looked at her, smiling wide as he raised his glass to his mouth, "Please don't take this the wrong way, but could we talk about something other than Asa today?"

Rin stopped, his juice still flowing into his mouth. _"Where did this come from?"_ he wondered. Kareha still had the same sweet, gentle smile on her face, as always, so it didn't occur to him that this could be a problem.

He thought back to yesterday, running into Watanabe and how he asked about his dates with Kareha. More importantly, if he talked about Asa to Kareha. Maybe he had been a bit excessive; she was a mutual friend to both him and Kareha, so he thought she would be a good conversation piece. Slowly his smile faded, but not completely.

"I'm sorry Kareha-san, I won't talk about her anymore today," he said. Kareha's face brightened, as she nodded in agreement, taking another sip of her drink.

"_This is going to be a good day!"_ she thought to herself, her round cheeks blushing with excitement and anticipation. _"I have Rin-chan all to myself today and we can have actual conversations,"_ her eyes shimmered as she opened them, looking at Rin who stared into his drink, _"Maybe I might not go back to college just yet."_ Rin looked up from his drink, blushing when he saw Kareha staring at him. He smiled back, scratching the back of his head.

Neither of them said a word the entire time they were in the café, or for the hours that followed.

--------------------

"Could you hold still Sia-san? You're moving around too much for me to capture your image," Gyouji said, peeking from behind his canvas.

Sia didn't pay him much attention, as she faced the window so Gyouji could paint her portrait. Only a blush ran across her face, as she ran stroke after stroke on her canvas.

"Ah I like that Sia-san, it'll capture the gentle aura of your nature," he said slyly, implying he could see her blush even in the bright sun.

"Don't paint that!" She yelled, only blushing brighter. Gyouji laughed at her embarrassment, disappearing behind his canvas to finish his painting. Once again she sat in quiet contemplation, filling more color to her painting. There was something on her mind, but perhaps it was best if she kept it clear. "Are you almost finished with that painting Gyouji-san? It's so embarrassing to have you paint my portrait."

"Actually, I am almost finished. It should be done by tomorrow, that is, if you don't mind staying a bit long then."

Sia mumbled something under her breath, her eyes darting between her canvas and his, then raised her voice so Gyouji could hear her, "Sure…ok…"

Gyouji looked at her from around the canvas, a slight smile on his face as his glasses bounced the light from the sun, "I'll anxiously be waiting for it." With that, he turned back to his painting.

Silence hung over the two for what seemed like an eternity, the only sound was the gentle brushing of their canvas, and the occasional bird that sang to its mate from across the school grounds. Sia wondered what Gyouji could have been thinking of, recently he had been…more amorous towards her. Complimenting her, offering to walk her home, just being an overall sweetheart to her. Certainly Sia was smitten with him, and the way he had been treating her. She liked the attention he gave her, the way he fawned over her. Why couldn't Rin be like that?

Rin…

His image passed before her eyes, his handsome face that made her heart jump every time she saw it. She stopped painting, holding her brush several inches from her canvas. Was it time for her to let go of him?

"Sia-san?"

Almost splattering her painting, she jumped at the mention of her name, "Y-Yes?!"

Sia could see him begin to blush, almost on will, "I was wondering…are you doing anything this Saturday?"

The blood from her body rushed right to her face, was this what was coming? Certainly there had been signs; there had been plenty of clearly obvious signs. She still was not prepared for anything like this.

"Um, uh…um, well…" Sia stumbled over her words, not finding the right one to tell him. Technically she wasn't doing anything, but pieces of her heart still held onto Rin. Could she let them go so quickly?

"_Breath Sia…"_ she told herself, _"You're getting ahead of yourself…he might just be making conversation."_ Noticing that Gyouji still was waiting an answer, looking innocently at her, she had to tell him the truth, "No Gyouji-san. I might finish my homework later in the day, but that's about it."

Gyouji sighed, a look of relief washing over his face, "Thank goodness."

Blushing and gulping, Sia slightly cocked her head, "Wh-Why do you ask?"

Not a word was spoken for a moment, as Gyouji looked down at the ground between him and Sia. The tension became increasingly obvious to the both of them, the silence continuing to get more awkward. Finally, Gyouji spoke up, "You see…the truth is…" his eyes locked with hers, Sia felt her heart jump into her throat, "Sia-san…I…"

There was a knock at the door, and Sia's hair leaped onto its ends. Wide-eyed and red as a tomato, she turned to the doorway where Anthony stood with a briefcase under his arm, his huge glasses continuing to cover his mysterious eyes.

"Sia-san. Gyouji-san. I'll be locking up shortly, so please finish up."

Gyouji grunted, pushing his glasses up his nose, "Yes teacher…"

Anthony nodded, "I'll still be about ten minutes, so you don't have to rush. I'll be around again to see if you're gone, but I'll need you out of here when I do."

"Y-Yes teacher…" Sia complied, bowing graciously to him as he turned away and walked down the hall out of earshot. Even when he was gone, the tension between the two was still great. "So um…" Sia stuttered, beginning to gather up her items, "We better get out of here, I don't want Anthony-sensei to get upset with us. He's scary when he's mad, like one time…"

"Sia."

She stopped, hoping that her rambling would keep both his and her mind off of the situation at hand. It didn't of course, as she turned to look at him, becoming self-aware.

Meanwhile, far down the hall from Sia and Gyouji's hall, Anthony footsteps deafeningly echoed throughout the widening corridor. His entire body became painstakingly slow, his head never turning to look into other rooms or down perpendicular hallways.

He stopped, his eyes staring down the hallway as his body was engulfed in the orange light of the setting sun. Someone was watching him. On the other side of the doorway he stopped in front of, a sleeve poked its way through the slightly opened door. A gust of wind traveled through the window and into the room, where long strands of gray hair waved to Anthony from the open door.

Anthony spoke, "Yes sir?"

There was silence, the stranger not speaking to him for seconds. Had Anthony not known him, he might have left, "Please be aware…this plan will go off without a hitch." The wind howled through their long hair, Anthony's brushing across his face, "I need your full cooperation…Project Ragnarok is upon us."

"Yes sir."

"I will not allow dissention in my ranks. Do I make myself clear?"

"Understood sir," and with that, Anthony continued to walk, the room he had stopped in front of showing no trace of a living soul.

------------------------

"_This isn't how it was supposed to be…"_ Kareha thought to herself, silently eating her evening ice cream cone. The date with Rin had started out a little bumpy, then the hour at the arcade was a blast. But ever since the café, Rin had been unable to look her in the face, much less talk to her about anything.

Speaking of Rin, he too noticed the awkward silence that had befallen the two since early afternoon even though he made no effort to break it. Several times had both Kareha and him tried throughout the day, but as quickly as it started it would slow to a halt. How they struggled through the entire day, neither one of them were exactly sure why.

Kareha looked up at Rin, still staring at the ground so as not to look at her. Why was it he couldn't even bring himself to look at her? Did she remind him of Asa too much? In the back of her mind she knew it wasn't her fault, that there was nothing wrong with her. But how can one not think badly of one's self after such treatment by a person they love?

"_It's not his fault either…"_ she thought to herself, slowly closing her eyes.

Quickly they opened again, that settled it. This was not going to get away from her; she would make one more attempt.

Letting out a huge groan she stretched her hands far to the sky, "Isn't the evening sky beautiful Rin-san?"

Rin's eyes darted to her, then back to the ground, "Mmm…"

"_Damn he's stubborn,"_ she thought, "So Rin-san," smiling wide at him, "You said that school is starting up soon again for you. Have you been a good boy and finished all your homework?"

Rin chuckled slightly, but only out of acknowledgement of her joke, "Some of it, not all though."

Kareha's smile began to fade, "That's good. So um, is there any place you'd like to go? The night is still young."

For a moment, Kareha thought that his mood had changed, as he looked up from the ground across the street, "Well…" and without warning, his good mood vanished, "Not really…"

Deeper the corners of Kareha's mouth dropped, "Oh…um…maybe then we can…figure out what we'll do tomorrow, how's that sound?"

"Mm-hm, ok…what do you want to do?"

No trace of a smile was on Kareha's lips at that moment, Rin didn't even look at her when he asked that vague question. Inside, she felt her heart begin to break, but she had to be sure of one thing, "So I heard Asa was in town for the weekend, she's visiting her mother."

As if Rin was completely oblivious to events that did or did not occur earlier today, lit up with pure ecstasy, "Oh really?! I didn't know that! When did she come in, do you know? That reminds me I haven't seen Ama-san for a long time too, I wonder what those two are up to. You think it would be weird to…"

"Rin-san…" Kareha gently interrupted, looking down at the ground. Rin politely listened, turning to her and smiling, "Rin-san…I think maybe, we should just stay friends."

"Wh…What do you mean?"

She sat in silence for a few seconds, and for a moment Rin thought she was crying. But she raised her head to him, smiling as sweetly as she loved to do, "I think I know what's going on. It's ok though, I'm not mad at you."

Rin reached out his hand to her, "Kareha-san…I still don't know what you mean."

His hand stopped, as Kareha gently pushed it back onto his lap and waved a finger in front of him, "You're sweet Rin, the sweetest and kindest man I've ever know, and for that…" she stopped, collecting her words, "…for that I really loved hanging out with you. But this dating thing isn't working out. At least not now." Rin blinked, it was a weird sensation. He hated being dumped, especially for the second time by someone he cared about. But he didn't care about her as much as she did with Asa…and for that reason he felt absolutely awful. "I can't imagine what it must feel like to…lost someone who had been so very, very close to them. It's only natural that you would feel attraction to someone who is still friends to them, even if it was for the wrong reason." Kareha stood up, placing her hands behind her back and stepping a couple paces away from him, "I'm not saying what you did is right…but it was fun while it lasted, and maybe when your heart has mended we can try this again." Her long golden hair bounced with her as she twirled around to face Rin, a large smile across her face, "Just promise me that…you'll get better soon."

He could feel his stomach churning; his entire body was rejecting him, what he had done. In a pathetic attempt to get closer to Asa, he had hurt one of his dearest friends, someone that, he didn't love, but still cared about deeply. He couldn't bear to look at her, he didn't deserve to. The shadow that cast over his body covered up his face.

He could feel a warm sensation placed underneath his chin, and it pressured him to twist his head slightly. The warm, comforting sensation of Kareha's lips pressed against his cheek was something that he had not felt in such a long time. Rin wanted to cry, he wanted to get down on his knees and beg her forgiveness.

"I'm not mad at you, I promise," she said reassuringly, "I'm a little hurt, but time heals all wounds. It really does Rin-san." Rin raised his head, his eyes connecting with hers and he could see that her face…her smile…they were all being forced. "We can still be friends, right?"

He nodded, although it was a very light nod. Kareha bounced away from him, giggling as she picked up her shopping bag, "Now then! I leave to go back to college in a couple days and I haven't done any packing. I had so much fun this summer Rin-san! Please consider applying to my college if you already haven't! I want all of us to hang out just like before!"

She waved a goodbye to him, and Rin responded with his own wave, less enthusiastically than Kareha's. For several seconds she ran backwards, continuing to wave to him, and then turned around and trotted off until she rounded a corner and was out of his eyesight.

Kareha turned her head around, never really stopping. She had to make sure she wasn't being followed. When she was satisfied that she wasn't, her trot quickened to an all-out sprint. The shopping bag she received earlier at the store fell away from her, it's contents spreading across the sidewalk. It was of no importance to her anymore; she just wanted to find a nice quiet, secluded spot. She didn't want anyone to see the tears that were already pouring down her face, her eyes shut tightly in a desperate attempt to restrain them.

-------------------------

The walk home for Sia was as long as she feared, finally resting down on her bed drawing her knees to her chest. Her chin rested on her knees as she looked over her entire room. She had a lot to think about, after what happened earlier today.

Despite her attempts to cut Gyouji off, his persistence overpowered hers. It was as she felt, his amorous manners and flirtatious speech weren't a joke between friends or an attempt to make her blush. They were real.

At least that's what he told Sia.

Her chin gently slid across her knee, resting her cheek against it as she peered through the doorway. She could hear her father's pathetic moans of hunger, as she once again walked straight to her room without bothering to make him dinner. He wasn't powerless, he could fend for himself and she wasn't hungry anyway.

Sighing, she called out to her sister.

"I only want you to be happy Sia-chan…"

A vague answer of course, this only produced another sigh from Sia, once again placing her chin upon her knees. She knew Kikyo's tone of voice, several days ago she let her know of her thoughts and no amount of coaxing would get her to come out again unless she became really upset.

Making a list of pros and cons had come to her on the walk home, but in her mind she felt it cruel to judge Gyouji to Rin. She could line up all of Gyouji's pros to America, and all of Rin's cons to India, but that wouldn't change her feelings towards Rin.

Rin.

Burying her face into her thighs she dreaded the coming day. There was no avoiding Gyouji; his persistent attitude would hound her until she would die.

This made her chuckle, thinking that someone would follow her around like that until her old years, saying the same thing over again.

Ultimately, Sia knew what she had to choose between. Was loving Rin enough for her? Or was it time to move on?

The thought made her sick to her stomach.

---------------------------

Rin curled up in his blanket and pillow, thinking back to the days when he still lived with Kaede and how comfortable it was to sleep all day in it. For the past few months the bed had become less comfortable and more comforting. It never judged him or berated him, always welcoming him into its warm embrace so he could sleep his cares away.

But this was escapism, and deep down he knew it was bad for him. He had done something terribly to Kareha, in his mind more terrible than what Asa had done to him. How could he face his friends at school? How could he be forgiven for doing something so heinous?

"Rin-kun!" a voice chimed from outside the door. Rin's entire body made one singular twitch, recognizing the voice instantly. In hindsight he should have at least answered him, knowing full well what he would do if he didn't. Watanabe always knew when he was home, hell even when he was asleep. And this made him dangerous to live next to.

Yet Rin couldn't muster up the energy to acknowledge him, hoping that this time he would actually get the message or give up and go back to his apartment. He still embraced himself, covering his ears for the onslaught of noises and banging.

Nothing came. Only the jiggling of the handle was apparent. Slowly he uncovered his ears; never completely taking his hands away from them as his behavior was completely irrational and spontaneous.

Spontaneous was the word that set it off. The doorknob jiggled more furiously, creating a lot of noise that coincided with a loud scraping sound. In a matter of seconds, the door swung open as light filled Rin's dark room.

Rin turned around in his bed, looking at Watanabe with several Pocky sticks in his mouth and a bag of groceries in his hand. A big smile on his face, his free hand rose to a wave as he let himself in. Rin just turned back around.

"How did you get in here?"

"I was a thief in a former life!" He exclaimed way too happily. Rin could hear the rustling of plastic and Watanabe's bony frame slamming down on the floor next to his bed. "I brought you some pocky. Want some?"

"No thanks…" he wearily gasped out. His presence was exhausting to be around.

"Suit yourself," he replied, popping a pocky into his mouth, "I got several boxes, so I'll leave one here for you. You like strawberry, chocolate, or some almond better?"

"Strawberry."

Watanabe grunted, apparently that was his favorite flavor too, "Fine. Mind if I turn on the TV?"

"Aren't you going somewhere?"

"You want me to?"

"Would you leave if I did?"

He could feel his goofy grin looking at him as he replied, "Nope."

"Then go ahead."

There was a clicking sound, and the buzz of the television as the picture came into focus, a dim light illuminating the room. Watanabe went through several different programs, each one different from the last and each one with a different dialogue from the people on the screen. Rin could hear a cartoon, a news program, a drama, and a comedy show that Watanabe stopped at briefly, chuckling to himself before he changed the channel again. After several minutes of channel surfing, Rin figuring that he must have gone through the entire cable program ten times at the least, he realized he wasn't here to watch TV.

"Am I a horrible person?" Rin asked. He wasn't going to leave for a long time, and truthfully, Rin wanted someone to talk to.

"Probably not."

Rin swore he heard a cricket chirp in his apartment. Not exactly the answer he was expecting, much less looking for, "Come again?"

"Well do you think you're a horrible person?"

"I sure feel like one."

"Want to rephrase the question?"

Rin sighed, "You're a pain. Fine. Do you think I'm a…"

"Nope."

"Then why do I feel like one?"

The pocky in Watanabe's mouth crunched beneath his teeth, "I'd feel like one too if I did something like that."

"I knew it the entire time. I never stopped talking about Asa, when I tried not to I couldn't think of anything to say. I saw an opportunity to get closer to Asa…but I didn't realize what I was doing to achieve that goal."

"I'm sure if you were consciously aware that you were using Kareha you would have stopped it. You were blissfully unaware of it from what I could tell."

"I don't know."

"One bad misdeed doesn't make a person horrible. Isn't there anyone you know who treated you wrong once but turned out to be one of your best friends?"

For a brief moment, Rin could feel he was talking exactly about Kaede, "Yeah…you're right…"

"Don't get me wrong, what you did was wrong," Watanabe pushed himself up to his feet, brushing off his backside, "But you're the kindest guy I know, you have a good heart and your sensitive to other peoples feelings. I know a lot of horrible people, and trust me you're not one of them."

Rin turned to lie on his back, looking up at the ceiling, "Who do you know is horrible?"

Watanabe didn't answer him immediately, standing there with the door leading to the hall open. When he finally did say something, it frightened Rin.

"Me."

The latch locked on Rin's door, as he continued to stare up at the ceiling. That is, until his stomach told him that it was time to put something in it. With his face scrunched in a look of pain, he reached over for the pink box of pocky that Watanabe left for him, the top opened by an inch.

"Looks like he helped himself to a couple of them," he muttered, opening the box lid and looking inside. Suddenly his eyes widened in a look of horror, as his hand trembled at the sight inside the box, "This…this…"

As Watanabe opened the knob to his door, Rin slammed his open as he glared down to look him square in the eye. His face full of hatred and anger, he burst out.

"WHO LICKS OFF ALL THE COATING OF POCKY AND THEN GIVES IT TO SOMEONE?!"

Watanabe giggled loudly, slamming the door shut behind him.

**END**

Writers Block: The story continues on. These last two chapters were painful to get through, at least to the point where it's not some half-assed attempt to pump out chapters. I hope the readers thoroughly enjoyed this, as there are many more to come.

And now I shall address one more question to the dedicated Shuffle! fans. And yes, it involves Sia and Nerine's mothers. I've searched the Japanese homepage in hopes of recognizing a number that would represent their ages; alas I've only found height and some other numbers that make no sense to me. Eventually I'll understand hiragana, katakana, etc. In the mean time, I would like it if someone with knowledge of the Shuffle! Aniverse could tell me the ages of the girls' mothers. If you can give me the girls ages as well that would be great. I'm assuming, since it's based off an H-Game and since the characters are in high school that the two girls are 16-17 years old, but an exact age would be fantastic. That goes with the girls' mothers too, since there is so little data in English on them that I can find.

Stay in touch for the next installment, Chapter 10. Gyouji makes his move.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: _Shuffle!_ and all characters therein are property of outside companies and I claim no ownership of them.

A NOTE TO ALL READERS: In the course of writing _Shuffle!Hope_ I am bound to make mistakes in grammar and especially in the story itself. Thereby, I implore all who read this to check my personal profile page for updates on _Shuffle!Hope_. It will give clear details on what chapters I'm updating and what in those chapters I am updating. And now without further adieu, here is chapter ten of _Shuffle!Hope_.

**_Shuffle!Hope_**

Rin rolled over onto his stomach, pressing his face into the pillow. The clock on his nightstand had read ten forty-five just minutes earlier so he knew he was just sleeping the day away. Of course the term sleeping was to be used lightly here, as he hadn't slept all night. Although he felt better than he did yesterday it wasn't by much.

He raised his head from the pillow, his exhausted eyes glaring at the clock. Only ten minutes had passed since the last time he checked it. Not a big surprise, time moved at a slower pace when you can't fall asleep. But after so many hours of restless tossing and turning, Rin could feel his body go numb with the blissful sensation of rest. The sounds around him became undistinguishable, finally attaining the sleep he wanted so badly.

"Rin-kun!"

Rin's eyes shot open in bloodshot anger, _"I'm going to kill him. I'm going to strangle his throat until his eyes pop out then I'm going to carve up his skin to make a mural out of it and then I'll…"_

"Jiggle the doorknob a little."

"Like this?"

"Yeah, got a credit card or something?"

"I got my student ID card."

"Perfect."

Unable to control his rage anymore and plagued with the thought he was not going to get back to sleep after this, Rin forced himself onto his hands, "Stop trying to break into my apartment morons!"

Reluctantly Rin had let Watanabe and Itsuki into his apartment, both of them wasting no time to make fun of his lazy attitude and his non-compliant attitude to offer them tea.

"What do you two want anyway?" Rin asked, slipping on a T-shirt over his muscle shirt.

In a dual over-dramatic pose, the two of them stood erect as they peered off into the distance, Itsuki speaking first, "Imagine my surprise when a distressed Nabe calls me early in the morning telling me that our best friend Rin is in terrible need of companionship."

Rin's left eye twitched.

"I was at a loss of what to do," Watanabe said trying to look sympathetic, "Surely Suki-san would know of a cure-all method to relieve Rin of his worries."

Rin's eye twitched again.

"It was a difficult predicament, that's for sure. But I think I found the perfect solution to your problem Rin-kun," Itsuki said cockily.

His eye still twitching, Rin asked the question he dreaded to ask, "And what would that be?"

Itsuki smiled, pushing his glasses up on his nose, "We…"

"…are going to take you…"

"…out into town…"

"…and get you a girl!" The both of them exclaimed loudly, extending their helping hands to Rin. Rin was not amused, a sour look on his face.

"I see. And what if I refuse?"

Watanabe laughed, shaking his head ruefully, "My dear boy, you seem to be in the thought that you have a choice in this matter."

"And we shall not burden you with this _illusion of freedom_," Itsuki said in a mix of Japanese and English. Still, Rin looked at them with an intense look of anger.

"So it's safe to assume that neither of you will leave my apartment if I don't go with you?" They both nodded in unison with the same smug look on their face, Rin sighed, "I must be out of my freaking mind. Alright get out so I can take a shower."

The light from the midday sun glanced off Itsuki's glasses, Watanabe's large smile shining brilliantly.

It's safe to say that Rin took his time in the shower, enjoying every last bit of the water washing over his body and at the same time experiencing the bliss of being away from those two. Suffice it to say it was a short lived twenty-minute shower and there was no taking his time with the clothes considering that Watanabe was ruthlessly assaulting his door and yelling his name at the top of his lungs. Itsuki, although he didn't participate, found it amusing nonetheless.

"What are you smiling at?" Rin asked him.

"Perhaps it isn't a woman that you need Rin-" Itsuki was suddenly silenced with one of Rin's thunder-punches to his abdomen. Unfortunately Itsuki had a weak constitution, the punch sending his eyes into the back of his head and collapsing in a heap on the floor. Rin glared at Watanabe, "You got anything to add to that?"

Watanabe waved his hands in front of his face wildly, sweating profusely, "Nope! Not at all!"

-------------------

"Sia-chan!" Shin yelled to his daughter from behind a close door, "Sia-chan!"

Upon hearing her name, Sia opened her eyes from her peaceful nap. She laid across a large couch in the living room, her arm wrapped around the back of the couch next to her head. The mahogany-color of her hair brightened as it came to life with the rest of Sia's body, gently gliding down the soft texture of the couch. She brought her hand to her face, brushing away the strands of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes.

"Sia-chan! Your daddy needs some toilet paper!"

Sia sighed longingly; as usual her father was oblivious to her feelings and worries, not to mention he had her doing the most mundane and silliest tasks for him. Nonetheless she forced herself up from her peaceful basking in the sun, straightening out her thin shirt. Silently she walked up the stairs to the supply closet and grabbing a roll of toilet paper. From there it was a short trek to the throne that her father resided on, a quick knock on the door and passing the roll behind her back through a small crack in the door.

"Thank you Sia-chan!"

Sia only yawned, walking to a nearby door and grabbing the leg of a large lawn chair. As she returned she could hear the running of water through a faucet, Shin humming to himself happily.

"You know Sia-chan! For lunch I was thinking about something exotic," he said to her through the door, Sia only leaned on the chair, "Do you think you could make something, I dunno…Indian sounds real good! What do you-" Unfortunately for Shin he made the mistake of opening the door, his face becoming painfully acquainted with the backside of the lawn chair.

Sia walked away, uncaring of her father's pain and suffering, "Dad don't be disgusting. I'll be home later tonight, I have Art Club." During his last few moments of consciousness, Shin took notice of Sia's apathetic attitude.

Sia stared at her landscape painting, its nearly completed form becoming more beautiful than she imagined it was going to be. Smiling to herself, she almost lost her train of thought.

"_Sia-san…I don't mean to bring this upon you so suddenly but…I have admired, no, adored you for some time now. All of this has been…a ruse to get closer to you. I know this seems very sudden Sia-san, and I don't want it to come across_ _as some cliché declaration of love. But the feeling I get around you is so unseemly. I know you still have feelings for this…Rin, but you don't deserve to be ignored like he has been. So Sia-san, will you go steady with me? You don't have to answer today, think about it for a while."_

Sia could feel her stomach twist into knots again; she had loved no one but Rin for years. She had never even thought about dating anyone other than Rin, even if the date turned out to be casual it would feel as if she was betraying him.

Kikyo, surprisingly, was no where to be found. But Sia knew she had said her piece, the dilemma now, was what would make Sia happy?

Gathering up her canvas and painting supplies she sullenly walked out her bedroom door and towards the school.

--------------------

**"Gyouji-sama, are you really going to go through with this?"**

"That depends. Why, are you having second thoughts?"

"**No of course not! It's just that, you've held back on taking any action for a while, we were beginning to wonder if you've given up."**

Gyouji smiled, "You should know me better than that. There…was a unexpected snag in the plan, it seems to have cleared itself up though."

"**I see. You said it depends, what does that mean?"**

"I would like to get through this with as little blood on my hand as possible, in a matter of speaking. I've been playing my cards well with the princess; there's a chance we won't have to go through with the plan, much to your dismay I assume." The person on the other end was dead silent, "I understand your plight, but remember this is for a greater cause then your personal satisfaction."

"**I'm sorry Gyouji-sama, it was selfish of me to think such."**

"Don't worry about it," Gyouji looked out the third story window of the school as the faces of people walked by, "Just be sure to keep your voices down so the teachers don't here you. This is the most secluded spot in the building but that damn white-haired teacher likes to roam the halls."

The voice on the other end of the line snickered, Gyouji heard some other voices chuckling as well, **"We already checked, he's not in today."**

"Good, it'll be a while so keep your wits about you," Gyouji switched the phone off, looking out the window one more time, "Damn bitch is late."

-------------------------

What was the cause of it, she didn't know, but for the past week every time Sia had walked to school it had to be have been ten times longer then what it normally was. Sia had a good guess.

It was because she was alone.

Her canvas neatly wrapped in a thin cloth and tucked under her arm, Sia could feel every painstakingly slow step she took. She knew that she had no idea what to tell him, all her worrying the night before had not done her any good and even with time slowing around her she would eventually reach the school grounds.

People walked by her as if they were faceless entities. Men, women, children, they all looked the same to Sia, just different sizes. This decision, this burden weighed heavily on her mind, probably more so than what it should have she thought. Still, every time she tried to turn her thoughts away, every time she decided to give Gyouji a chance, her mind led her straight back to Rin's open embrace.

She slammed hard into a man's chest, so much so that she almost lost her balance. But she didn't bounce off of this person, instead his hands gripping tightly onto her shoulders and holding her no more than an inch from his chest. The blood in her body rushed to her head, but before she could speak, a familiar voice called her name.

"Be careful Sia-chan, you almost knocked me over."

Sia looked up ever so slightly. There, standing above her, holding her in his arms, was Rin. The color in her face had yet to recede as hr stuttering voice responded, "R-Rin-san…?" He smiled at her.

"I'm sorry I ran into you, I called out your name but you didn't seem to hear me and I couldn't move in time."

An odd sensation came over Sia as she stared up into his eyes, not saying a word to him as he continued to hold her close. It was a feeling that she had not felt in a long time.

Upon noticing how close she was to him, he immediately let go of her and backed up a couple paces, laughing nervously. This too, brought Sia out of her daze, clenching her free hand and bringing it to her chest. Sia, even with all that she had been going through, was able to smile freely for the first time in days.

"Rin-san, what are you doing here?"

Rin made a gesture behind him to the two bringing up the rear, Itsuki with his hands in his pockets and Watanabe carrying a box of Pocky and a large cup of liquid that appeared to be red in nature.

"Good afternoon Sia-chan," Itsuki said in his all-too-masculine tone. Watanabe, mouth stuffed with pocky, nodded at her politely.

"Good afternoon Midoriba-san, Watanabe-san," she replied, bowing.

Rin scratched the back of his head, "I was forcibly plucked from my soft, comfortable bed this morning to spend the day with these two."

There was a loud gulping sound followed by a gasp of relief, "We only felt concern for our dear Rin. All alone in his tiny little apartment, no company to speak of whatsoever."

All the food that Watanabe just swallowed almost came back up when Rin smacked his chest with the back of his hand, glaring at him all the while. Sia blinked, remembering several days ago when she saw him on a date with Kareha. "_What had happened?"_ she wondered. But Sia kept quiet, knowing that although she saw Rin and Kareha they didn't see her.

Much to her shock, and quiet satisfaction, Rin had a vague answer, "Sorry Sia-chan, I've just been feeling down about myself recently. I did something really…stupid."

The area around the four quickly became quiet, three of the group staring at Rin. In her case, Sia had an idea what had happened and recognized Rin's faults on the matter…and to her this only made him more perfect. The sweetest smile crossed her lips as she looked up at him, "Would you like to talk about it?"

Rin just laughed nervously and looked away from her, "Maybe another time Sia."

She giggled, "Well you know where to find me and I EXPECT you to find me." Gently brushing her fingers across his chest she spun around on her heel and opened her mouth to give them, particularly Rin, a goodbye. However she quickly found that no matter how graceful and elegant she wanted to be there was no way that was going to happen. Completely missing Rin's awkward foot, her heel caught fast and Rin's visage quickly disappeared from her line of sight, to all she could see was the sky. Just as suddenly as her vision changed, her head impacted something soft yet firm, which resulted in a loud grunt. As she continued to fall her final image was Watanabe's face, filled with pain, and his drink flying through the air. She closed her eyes tight and wrapped her arms tight around her painting as the cups shadow passed over her head.

It wasn't the initial grunt that made her open her eyes, being too afraid of what happened to her painting. But the second grunt, mere inches from her face, forced to her to pry open one eye. And there he was, smiling although he was certainly in pain and perhaps shock. What accompanied his laugh was the gentle dripping of Watanabe's drink running down his back, pants, and arms.

Rin shivered, "Ooo…that's cold."

Through all the commotion from Itsuki and Watanabe, Sia silently ran her fingers across his chest that was gently pressed against her painting. If Itsuki and Watanabe weren't there…no, if her painting wasn't keeping her arms pinned to her chest there would be nothing in the world that would have stopped her from wrapping her arms around him and kissing him.

Instead, she politely took his hand when he offered it to help her up, cursing that damnable painting of hers.

"Are you okay Sia? Did your painting get dirty?" Rin asked her with concern, as Itsuki and Watanabe began to brush her off.

Her face blushed, "I'm okay Rin, and I think the painting is…" her eyes shot open wide with shock. With tremendous force, she brought her elbow down on Watanabe's head who had taken the task of brushing off her lower backside to himself, "Hands off pal."

Tears of pain streamed down his eyes, "Yes ma'am…"

Sia could hear Rin sigh ruefully even though she continued to focus her rage on Watanabe, "If you want, Sia, you could hang out with us for a little while. That is unless you have to get to your club meeting right away."

The initial shock of the question sent her into a bumbling disarray of words and pauses, mostly hinting that it wasn't necessary she get to her club right away and that "he can wait a couple minutes longer." Upon saying this however, she was reminded of the errors in her sentence structure and the great matter at hand. She blushed brightly and bowed deeply, "I'm sorry Rin-kun! But I really have to her going, I just remembered that I have something very important I have to do, so…" she trotted over to Rin, putting two of her fingers to her mouth and kissing them, then simultaneously placing them on Rin's lips, "Thank you for the invitation, we'll have to do it again without these two." With that, she trotted off away from them. Rin just stood in amazement and humiliation, before shaking his head.

"Why does everyone I know like to embarrass me so much?" he said despondently.

"Mission accomplished Suki-san," Watanabe said to Itsuki, giving him a thumb up.

"Mission accomplished Nabe-nabe," Itsuki replied, repeating his actions, "So shall we do clean-up? I have a particular attraction to Nerine if you don't mind."

"Not at all my dear Suki-san! I am quite fond of Kaede-chan myself."

"So it all works out in the end," they both guffawed loudly finally snapping Rin's patience.

"Both of you shut the hell up! You can't have any of them!" Before he could correct what he had just said, they already jumped on it.

"That is completely unfair of you Rin! You can't have all the girls to yourself," Itsuki said with sarcastic frustration. Watanabe nodded in agreement.

"My word, since when did our Rin-kun become such a womanizer?"

"I don't know Nabe, it's as if he's a completely different person."

The two continued to heckle Rin, completely oblivious to his ever-growing rage and humiliation. Oh if he just had a fraction of Nerine or Primula's magic.

-----------------------

The ticking of the clock thundered in Gyouji's ears. It wasn't long before he used it as a metronome, each stroke of his brush in tune with each tick of the second hand. He used this alone time to finish the outer edges of his painting, the parts where Sia's portrait didn't encompass. Faster the clock ticked, and faster the strokes of his brush. Why did he have to paint her? Certainly she was a beautiful person but the thought of her pompous demeanor and snide attitude towards him only made him hate her more. The thought of her co-mingling with demons and humans as if they were equals sickened him. She wasn't beautiful, she was hideous. The clock ticked faster in his mind, his gentle strokes becoming furious swipes at the canvas, smearing paint all around the borders. He couldn't touch her portrait, it was the best work he'd ever done, and for such a monstrous person he almost made her look decent. Still her face grew more ugly to him by the moment, how dare she stand him up. He would make sure that she would pay dearly for this, no one ever dismissed him.

"I'll do THIS…and THAT to her," he hissed under his breath, creating one large swipe of paint around the outer edges. His eyes vibrated in his head he was so angry, and with one final stroke he smeared red paint across her chest. This picture was too hideous, he had captured her image so well that it had to be destroyed. He would take deep pleasure in dismantling this monstrosity piece by piece, so no one would ever be burdened to look at it again.

"Gyouji-san!" Sia called from the other side of the door, "Are you in there?"

Pushing his glasses up his nose, he happily called back to her, "Yes Sia-san, do you need any help with your supplies?"

"Thank you, but I got it!" Gyouji could hear the enthusiasm in her voice, so he was not surprised when she walked in with a large smile on her face.

"You look really happy, did something good happen today?"

Sia tried to hide her smile, she tried to wander her thoughts away from Rin but it only made her think about him more. Putting her hands to her face to cover up the quickly darkening cheeks, she answered him, "I guess you could say that, something unexpected just came up, that's all."

"I see…" he whispered. It took a couple minutes for Sia to set up her easel, never looking at Gyouji's painting.

"How's your portrait of me coming?" She asked with a large smile.

"Just grand, although I accidentally got some paint over it. I'm very sorry Sia-san."

Sia chuckled, "It's okay, accidents happen. My painting almost had an accident earlier this morning."

"Paint?"

Sia shook her head, "Soft drink."

Gyouji chuckled, possibly for a different reason that what it was perceived. For several minutes, they let the tranquility of the room surround them, focusing of the canvas' before them. The only sound audible was the gentle stroking of their brushes against the smooth surfaces of the paintings. No tension, no awkwardness, nothing troubling at all.

To Sia at least.

"Sia-san…" Gyouji called out, his patience finally breaking, "I was wondering…have you taken consideration to my offer?"

Sia paused, before setting the brush down on the ledge of the window. Gracefully she stood, and looked Gyouji in the eyes, "I gave it a lot of thought Gyouji-san. And it was very difficult. You are a handsome man, probably one of the best looking men I've seen. You're kind, you're charming, and had this been another time and another place I could probably even fall in love with you," Sia brought her hand to her chest and smiled, "But I'm in love with Rin. I always have been." Gyouji opened his mouth to say something, but Sia interrupted him, "It seems cruel, but my heart belongs to him. Every time I think of him my heart beats a little faster, and he is constantly on my mind. I can't wait to see him everyday, and if I don't see him that day I eagerly await the next day. Maybe in time I can grow to love someone else, but right now, my heart belongs to Rin. I…love him…" her eyes began to water as she thought about her beloved. The tears that formed in her eyes escaped when her eyelids gently shut, flying through the air and sparkling gently in the golden sun, "I love him so much…"

Gyouji, however, was not moved by this display of affection. Silently he watched as she wiped her eyes away, turning back to him and smiling, "This doesn't mean we can't be friends of course."

Gyouji sneered, slipping his hand into his pocket, "You're right. That doesn't mean we can't be friends."

Sia gave him a hug, silently apologizing and patting his back, sure that he understood her feelings and this would be all that mattered. When she was sure that she had solved the situation, she trotted back to her chair and began to work on her painting again, giving Gyouji one last smile before she hid her face. Unbeknownst to her, Gyouji had pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and smiled.

"But I'm afraid we can't be friends," he whispered so low that Sia couldn't hear him, as his thumb moved over the "Send" button on his phone.

---------------------------

"Uh-huh…yeah…yeah I got ya. Bye," Watanabe whispered into his phone before closing it shut and pocketing it. Several yards away from him Rin and Itsuki talked over a recent incident.

"I'm terribly sorry to leave you Rin-kun, but I'm afraid a higher power beckons me," Itsuki said, way too happily. He turned around and waved to a light-red haired god, who subsequently waved back, giggling.

Rin could only sigh, "I understand. Your higher power resides in your pants and stands at four…"

"Watch it."

" And a half…"

Itsuki's punch didn't land and even though Rin had the opportunity for a counter-attack, deep in his heart he knew that he somehow spurned Itsuki's violent reaction and just couldn't bring himself to humiliating his dear friend in front of this girl. Instead, the two stared each other down, a vile smile spread across their lips.

"I wish you bad luck with all your female encounters Rin-kun," Itsuki hissed at him.

"And I wish that you go blind and will never have to look at another female again," Rin snapped back.

Finally after a good thirty seconds, Itsuki broke the stare, winking at Rin, "My love for women is not bound by one mere sense such as eye-sight. Bye Rin."

The two waved to each other, Itsuki wasting no time to start flirting with the gorgeous god. Even from fifty yards away Rin could hear all of Itsuki's cheesy lines and visually see them working, the girl blushing brightly and hiding her smile from Itsuki.

"Rin-kun!" A melodious voice snapped Rin out of his stare, causing his shoulders to slump in exhaustion.

"Oh crap I completely forgot that you're still here…" he moaned out loud, his facial expression matching the tone in his voice.

"Don't be like that Rin-kun! Us two hip guys can still have a good time together!" Watanabe yelled, smacking Rin's back hard enough to cause each blow to sway his body.

"I'm tempted to tell you to go jump in a ditch."

"That's the spirit!"

Rin's eye twitched, "Do you only hear what you want to hear?"

In a fit of anger, Watanabe puffed his cheeks out, "Fine. You obviously won't stop complaining unless we get someone else for us to have fun with."

"I don't want to 'get' someone else, I just want to 'get' you away from…"

Unfortunately for Rin, Watanabe was intent on completely ignoring him, "Let's see…ah! That's a good idea!" Turning to Rin, he snapped his fingers at him, "Since Itsuki has abandoned us for the fairer gender, what do you say we do the same."

"Why does that scare me so much?"

Once again, completely ignored, "Let's go snatch Sia away from that pompous art freak."

Although Rin enjoyed the thought of a third member there to dilute Watanabe's annoying presence, Sia was the last person on his mind for such a task, "I don't think that's a very good idea. You see how fast she rushed off to get to her club, she probably really wanted to spend the day working on her painting."

Rin could see the edges of Watanabe's mouth curl into a devious smile, "Ohhh? Is someone jealous of Sia-chan's relationships with other men?"

In the back of his mind, Rin took note that his left eye had probably developed a spasm whenever Watanabe talked, "No. I'm. Not. I just think Sia would prefer to do something else than spend the afternoon with you."

"You mean us?"

"No. I don't."

All of Rin's arguing turned to be in vain, as Watanabe happily grabbed his wrist and began dragging him towards the school, "No arguments Rin-kun! Rin-chan and Kaede-chan live too far away, Sia is obviously the best choice."

Rin had trouble keeping his footing, using every last bit of his willpower to stand up straight as he was forcibly led towards the school, "Frankly I'd rather not have you around any of them! Why don't you invite one of your friends?" Watanabe remained silent, as Rin felt a bit more of his balance coming back to him, "What? Don't tell me you don't have any other friends."

It was at that moment Rin noticed that the dragging had almost slowed down considerably, finally enabling him to stand upright. Although Watanabe never let go of his wrist and continued to walk at a faster pace, the tone of his voice changed quickly, "No, I do. Just…they're not as much fun as you…and the girls."

Watanabe had a habit of making Rin feel bad at the wrong moment, which only made Rin feel worse. Watanabe knew he was just making fun of him, and Rin knew that as well. Didn't make it any better though. Rin sighed, Watanabe was just as much of a pervert as Itsuki was, just less suave about it.

"Fine!" Rin yelled, pulling his hand away from Watanabe's and pocketing the both of them. He looked over to see Watanabe giving him his large grin.

"Trust me Rin, Sia will enjoy this as much we will. Some pretty titties is exactly what this group needs!"

Rin wondered if continuous muscle spasms were a precursor to lockjaw, "On second thought, I'm just going to go home."

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!"

As Watanabe had said, the trip to the school wasn't long at all. He kept his mouth shut most of the way, which made Rin enjoy the silence. Knowing that Sia's spontaneous and flirtatious personality would more than likely cause her to join them despite Watanabe's presence, Rin knew that between Watanabe's eccentricity and Sia's constant flirting he was in for quite a night. This made him enjoy the silence all the more.

As much as he loved Sia, as he did the other girls, he wasn't ready to consider one-on-one dating or even give off that impression. And as good of a friend that Watanabe was, he was near psychotic and could only handle him in small doses when they were alone. In the end, Rin felt the two would be a good balance, although the thought of them together with him still sent spines up his back.

Or worse.

If they got along.

"_Perish the thought,"_ Rin thought to himself. He gulped, the horrific vision running through his mind. Sia would put him into compromising and embarrassing situations while Watanabe would take pictures, Sia posing and forcing Rin to pose. The train of thought stopped when they reached the teacher on duty for that time, Nadeshiko.

"Good afternoon Nadeshiko-sensei!" Watanabe yelled, extending a wave out to her. Rin smiled and waved.

"Afternoon Watanabe-kun, Tsuchi."

"Ugh, do you have to call me that sensei?"

"Yeah! I want a cute nickname too!"

The two stared at Watanabe nervously, who showed no apparent feelings of remorse over what he just said.

"I'm going to let that slide Watanabe," Nadeshiko said, pointing a threatening finger at him, "So what are you two here for?"

"We're here to see if Sia is busy and would like to spend the rest of the day with us."

The finger she used to point at Watanabe never left him, as she looked nervously at Rin, "Him too?"

Now it was time for Watanabe's eye to twitch, "Why does everyone keep saying that?"

Rin patted Watanabe's shoulder sympathetically, "There there Nabe-san. She only meant that you're a pain to be around." Watanabe growled at him.

"Well if I'm not mistaken she's still in the Art Club room on the third floor. I don't think she's left just yet."

They gave their thanks and bowed, heading towards the nearest staircase. On the way there, Watanabe became eerily quiet.

"Something wrong?" Rin asked him. His voice seemed to brighten up Watanabe, as he turned to Rin and smiled.

"Nope. Not at all. Why, do I look upset?"

"It looks like you're thinking hard about something. It looks odd on you."

"Haha, very funny." Watanabe looked down the third floor hall. Both he and Rin knew where the Art Club room was, Watanabe spending lots of time exploring the school and Rin having visited Sia many times early in the school year. So it was naturally odd that there were two people standing in front of the door of the Art Club room. As they got closer, they noticed they were gods, more particularly, gods that Gyouji was seen with a lot.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Rin asked, raising his hand. It felt uncomfortable talking to these two, and more than a little strange that they were almost standing guard of this door. However, Rin felt he was being paranoid. Watanabe felt like being weird.

"Take me to your leader!" He exclaimed loudly, raising his hand in an all-too-familiar salute. He never saw Rin's fist coming.

"Sorry about that," Rin said to the two gods, "We're just here to see if Sia's here. Is she? We were wondering if she'd like to spend the rest of the afternoon with us."

Neither of them answered right away, one of them even snorting in disgust. When one finally did answer, he did it in a most unpleasant tone, "No. She left some time ago, so why don't you beat?"

This was definitely some suspicious behavior, Rin noted to himself. He looked over to Watanabe, and Rin could tell he was thinking the same thing. He didn't want to get in a fight, but he had this frightening feeling to at least check to make sure she wasn't in there.

"Do you mind if we say hi to Gyouji-san then? I'd like to see what he's painting."

This forced an even more violent reaction out of them, "Gyouji-sama, I mean –san, wants to be alone right now. I'm not in the mood to discuss this with you so please vacate our sight."

"Now see here-"

"Come on guys," Watanabe said, cautiously approaching them and placing his hand on the right god's shoulder, "We just want to say hi. A quick peek in and we'll be out of your hair for the rest of your lives."

The god made Watanabe clear that he did not want his hand on his shoulder, squeezing his hand tight and forcibly pulling it off his shoulder, "I said! Get the hell away from…"

There was never a greater reason for Rin to dent the door with the god's head, than the muffled scream of one of his closest friends. There wasn't even a moment's hesitation when her voice reached his ears, unlike the god standing in front of him. With one solid punch, his snow-white knuckles contacted the side of the god's face, sending him to the floor not to get up for a while. Watanabe, as it appeared, was even quicker. And stronger.

The hand he had on the god's shoulder provided more than just a friendly pat, it proved to be a leverage for a grab. As the shoulder came forward and Watanabe's hand pulled back, his foot came up and the god's everything went through the door. What parts of the door weren't knocked off the rollers initially were forced off, Rin and Watanabe busting through it like a madmen.

In the immediate left corner were the two they were looking for. They were surprised to find they were looking for two more than that. Rin's focus was entirely on the person in the middle, Sia. Her arms were being held in the air by a strange god, Rin didn't take the time to notice his appearance. Around her mouth was a damp rag, probably from the saliva that came when she tried to yell through it. Her clothes were nothing but scraps at this point, the only items truly in tact were her bra and underwear, the rest of her clothes hanging loosely off her shoulders of legs. With the direction of the box knife that Gyouji was pointing at her, it appeared as if he was going for her bra next. Rin only took slight notice to the god standing to her left, camera in his hand. That was only the notice he needed. But above all else, the one thing that caught his eye the most, was the pain and fear in Sia's face and eyes.

Rin became furious. Gyouji became furious. The only person whose face wasn't wracked with hate and anger was the tiny frame of the goddess in the middle. They just stared each other down, the gruesome thoughts of what they would do to the other washing over their body, through the cracks of their fingers down into the socks on their feet. The moment would come when their hate would take hold of them, there would be one defining moment that would cause all hell to break loose. The rag that bound Sia's mouth silently glided down her face, tickling her cheek and lips. With pain-strewn eyes, a well of tears ready to explode, she stretched out to the door as far as she could.

"RIN-SAMA!" Sia cried out with every breath that was left in her. Rin could see his world begin to go red.

**END**

Writer's Block:

Split up Chapter 10 because it was too long. I will try to keep it to around 15 pages a chapter, but keep in mind that these chapters are long. I will not shorten them for my own pride and the quality of my work. Please if there are any problems in my story other than length, please let me know.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: _Shuffle!_ and all characters therein are property of outside companies and I claim no ownership of them.

A NOTE TO ALL READERS: In the course of writing _Shuffle!Hope_ I am bound to make mistakes in grammar and especially in the story itself. Thereby, I implore all who read this to check my personal profile page for updates on _Shuffle!Hope_. It will give clear details on what chapters I'm updating and what in those chapters I am updating. And now without further adieu, here is chapter ten of _Shuffle!Hope_.

**_Shuffle!Hope_**

Rin wound back on his heels, he wanted to tear his heart out for even thinking of hurting Sia.

But Watanabe was faster. His phone turned into a remarkably accurate projectile, sending the box knife in Gyouji's hand flying, nearly stabbing Sia and the god holding her arms.

"Why you…" were the only words Gyouji hissed out. Watanabe was on him fast, throwing two quick jabs towards his face. They didn't hit, but his fast reaction forced him back towards the window. He threw out another punch, a more focused and powerful one, towards his mid-section. However, Gyouji blocked it, wrapping his arm around Watanabe's and bringing his leg up for a kick. That too was blocked by Watanabe's shin, ripping his arm free from Gyouji's

grasp immediately afterwards. Gyouji was too close for Watanabe's taste, bringing his foot up and placing it on Gyouji's chest, kicking him against the wall.

Gyouji's eyes burned with hatred, staring Watanabe downed as he regained composure. If it weren't for his goons, Watanabe probably would have been all over him.

The two others gods held Watanabe's arms fast, pulling up and out preventing him from making the tiniest step. That's not to say he didn't try his feet and legs becoming a whirling vortex of muscle. Much to Gyouji's dismay, he walked right into the middle of the vortex and his chest felt the explosion of two size eleven shoes.

Gyouji went one direction and Watanabe and his captors went the other. The two unnamed gods tightened their grip on him and pulled his arms back, hoping to use pain to put him in submission. It didn't work, as Watanabe continued to thrash like a wild animal. Meanwhile, as an accomplished martial artist it didn't take long for Gyouji to gain his breath back from his attack. The glasses he had meticulously worn for the months following this event had gone flying across the room just moments before, his hair that he would spend over an hour in the morning becoming a wild mess. But he didn't care. Slicking his hair back he stomped towards Watanabe, reading his every movement.

But not Rin's.

Rin's shoulder slammed into his stomach, sending the both of them into a massive heap on the floor. Even though the blow had knocked the wind out of both of them, they had enough energy to trade punches with each other, Rin having the obvious advantage as he lay on top of him.

"RIN!" Sia and Watanabe yelled. Sia reached out to help him, but pulled away as the two of them rolled around furiously, slamming into one of the standing easels. Watanabe settled down enough to catch his breath, and see the god let go of his arm and walk towards the two fighting on the ground.

"Gyouji-sama!" He yelled out, focusing his magic into his arm, causing it to burst into dull red fire. He made one mistake though; he let go of Watanabe.

The god heard the hiss of his flame and smelled the singeing of flesh. His entire body stopped for that matter. Looking down, he noticed Watanabe had grasped onto his flaming arm, smoke billowing from his burning flesh. Even though his other arm was being held fast by the other god, it didn't stop him from reaching out and grabbing him. Watanabe grinned widely as he threw the god back against the wall.

Rin and Gyouji continued to swap fists, each one trying to gain and keep advantage over the other by getting on top. After some time at a disadvantage, Gyouji got tired of Rin and with all his strength threw him off. Gyouji reeled back onto his hands, pushing off of them onto his feet. Rin settled for a more conventional method, standing up to face Gyouji in the eye. In the background, Rin could hear Watanabe rumbling with the other gods. If he was anything like Rin thought he was, he would be fine. But Rin had another matter to deal with. Gyouji had taken up a boxer's stance, raising his fists to block his face. Rin had taken several martial arts classes in the past, but only to a few belt levels. Still, he had to. Sia was watching him, Sia needed him right now, and he would protect her. Not just her, but any of the girls. He would protect them with his life. Gyouji took a step towards him.

He had trouble seeing Gyouji's punches, but there they were. Rin knew enough about defense to keep it up until the right moment. There were several opportunities, and Rin took them. He missed, but he was able to get right back on the defensive. Each punch Rin blocked stung, each kick the pain shot through the leg that he parried it with. There it was, Gyouji had raised his right arm too far. Rin wasn't a left-hander, but he knew how to use it. The punch connected and he could feel Gyouji's rib bend to his knuckles. Gyouji's face conformed to the fist in his chest, grinding his teeth and squinting his right eye. Unfortunately for Rin this wasn't enough for Gyouji. With remarkable quickness he took his left hand and slammed it into Rin's solar plexus that sent a shock wave through his body. Rin stumbled back, taken aback by this massive punch. It wasn't enough for Gyouji as he took one large step towards Rin, bending down below his ducked head, only to bring it quickly up into Rin's face. Without even taking a breath, Gyouji did not let up on Rin as he wrapped his arms around Rin's necked and pushed Rin's bleeding face into his shoulder as he locked his hands together.

Wham! Rin felt the first knee connect into his thigh. He felt that one a lot more than any other kick he had taken from Gyouji in the lower extremities of his body. It hit a nerve too, the wrong one that sent paralyzed his for a very brief period of time

Wham! The second knee strike hit, this time it was closer to home. It actually made Rin fade in and out of consciousness. There wasn't time for Rin to recover, he had to act now before that third knee strike hit him, and with the pressure Gyouji was putting on his neck he was going straight for the face. He had to act fast.

Bringing his arms inside his body, he forced them up between his and Gyouji's face. It hurt, he had to actually force his hands through his chin to break Gyouji's hold, but it didn't hurt nearly as bad if his head had stayed there any longer. He figured he took Gyouji by surprise by the width of his eyes. Not a very orthodox method, Rin assumed. Wrapping his arms around Gyouji's, he forced them up, locking them in place. He had probably raised his knee to strike Rin a third time, considering how off balance he was. Rin almost lost hold of him, but instead decided on a little payback. He gripped the sleeves of Gyouji's arm tight and forced him towards Rin. At the same moment, he threw his head forward, slamming his forehead into Gyouji's face. Much harder than he had done to him. This was the clincher, as Gyouji reeled back in a daze, a spray of blood flying out of his nose.

Rin finally had a moment's time to wipe the blood from his mouth, taking note that Gyouji had a thick forehead. Thank goodness it wasn't Watanabe. He was tired of fighting Gyouji, he was going to be completely unorthodox to finish this. One of the stools that had been left standing in the room was close enough for Rin to grab, and in doing so swinging it wide. Rin took careful steps not to crack him across the skull, no matter how much he wanted to.

The stool shattered into legs, seat, and other splintered parts. Gyouji went tumbling to the floor, gripping his right arm in pain. His teeth scraped the floor as he howled in agony while the rest of his body squirmed. Rin meanwhile, stumbled around exhaustingly, waiting for Gyouji to get up. It was at that time he took notice of his surroundings. The entire room had gone quiet, even Sia had stopped crying for a brief moment. He looked down at Gyouji, who continued to struggle with his arm, thrashing but not accomplishing anything. _"I guess it's a good thing he's alive,"_ Rin thought to himself. After being satisfied that he wasn't going anywhere, he looked over to Watanabe, who, now only in an undershirt, stood over the unconscious bodies of the two gods. One of them had the front half of his body pressed against the wall, and from the side Rin could tell that he had gone to town on his face. The other one lay in an even more undignified manner, his face planted in the floor with his rear end high in the air. Watanabe, a little battered, looked otherwise unhurt. Not even a bead of sweat on him.

Then he looked to Sia. She covered herself in the over-shirt Watanabe had worn earlier, Rin figured he had finished after Watanabe. Her eyes, her entire face still gave off the look of panic and terror she had exhibited earlier. But at least now there was a small glint in the corner of her eye. A glint of relief, hope, and love. Rin smiled at her, glad she was unhurt physically for the most part. This sign of affection made Sia squint her eyes, the tears so thick that the brown iris was just a blob of colors. Her mouth contorted, biting her lip to keep it from quivering. It didn't help. Her legs became restless, there was only one thing she wanted to do right now.

Gyouji's eye bolted open, shrinking back into his head. Inches in front of him was the box knife, blade fully extended. It begged to be used, it was satisfied with Sia's clothes. With his good hand he grabbed it, wrapping his fingers around it tightly. And with a mighty thud of the ground, he roared in anger.

The entire floor bucked to his beckoning, the tiles bending to the shock wave Gyouji's fist sent out. As it turned out, he was not only an excellent martial artist, he also had some magic abilities. The bending of the floor sent both Rin and Watanabe to the ground, Sia too falling from her four-legged crawl. Gyouji was unaffected, in fact standing completely erect, staring down Rin with burning hatred. The blade of the knife flashed in the rays of the setting sun, Gyouji's eyes trembling with madness.

"I can't take it anymore. I've avoided touching garbage for all my life, and now, all day, I've had to bathe in it. Fine, if this is how I have to live, I'M GOING TO CREATE AN OCEAN OF FILTH!" As insanity took over him, he charged at Rin, holding the knife high in the air, ready to bring it down across Rin's face, chest, he didn't care. Rin was grounded and there was nowhere for him to go. Not even Sia and Watanabe crying out his name slowed Gyouji down.

In an instant, Gyouji's arm was taken from him. Knife, fingers, elbow, everything gone in the blink of an eye. No pain, no feeling at all. It just…wasn't there anymore. Until, that is, Nadeshiko pushed it further up his back. When the arm reaches its stretching limitation it becomes well known where it is. Gyouji grunted in pain as he was forced to drop the knife from his hand. Nadeshiko didn't mess around with him, gritting her teeth to force herself to stretch his arm to its limitation without breaking it. Gyouji felt every muscle reach pull, every muscle that snapped from the strain that was put on them. He looked back as far as he could, seeing her shoulder poking out from behind his back.

"Why…you…bitch!" He hissed out, ducking under his arm to come out facing Nadeshiko. He didn't care what the gender was; he was going to knock her head off. Nadeshiko had other plans, however. The long-winded ripping noise indicated that her miniskirt was unable to handle her wide roundhouse, the lower part of her thigh slamming into Gyouji's abdomen. And that, as they say, was that. Gyouji stumbled until his back was against the wall. His breath had left him, his sight had failed him, his legs were about to crumble under his weight. He didn't even try to fight back as Nadeshiko grabbed him by the collar and threw him on the ground, quickly grinding her knee into his back and twisting his arm behind him once again.

Silence hung over the room once again. Rin and Nadeshiko's heavy breathing were the only audible sounds in the room. The reek of sweat overpowered the feint smell of blood, as bucketful's of sweat ran down Rin and Sia's face. Even Nadeshiko's nose became a leaky faucet, every second dropping a bead of sweat onto Gyouji's back. Gyouji's goons stirred, but never completely gained consciousness. Calm finally came unto the tiny little classroom.

Rin patted down his body, still in the daze of Gyouji charging at him with a knife. Satisfied that his body was completely intact, he turned on his knee to Sia, and reaching out to her to brush the hair out of her face and pat her on the head, he said, "Are you alright?"

Sia lost it. She lost all composure. Everything that she was taught as royalty was gone, as she leaped out of Watanabe's overcoat towards Rin, screaming his name at the top of her lungs. She would have strangled him with love if she had the strength, instead limply clinging onto his shirt and crying loudly into his chest. As time went on, the tears only poured faster, and the crying only got louder. No matter how hard she shut her eyes the tears never stopped, no matter how hard she tried to silence herself, her voice always came out. She cried for a long time, held comfortably in the arms of the only man she loved.

-------------------------------

"Sia-san, I sympathize with the ordeal you've just been through, but…" Nadeshiko paused for a second, taking notice of Sia clinging tightly to Rin's neck, still sobbing silently into his shoulder, "If I'm going to give Rin-san first aid you're going to have to let go of him for a second."

Sia peeked over her arm, her bloodshot eyes looking at Nadeshiko pathetically. With each gasp of breath her entire body trembled, as she answered back to Nadeshiko, "Oh-oh-okay…(sniff) sensei…"

Nadeshiko sighed as Sia let go of him, placing her hands in her lap and looking down at the ground. Nadeshiko dabbed a cotton ball into disinfectant and wiped it on the cut near Rin's mouth, causing him to wince.

"Yeesh, that burns."

"That means its working. Anthony-sensei told me to use this in case anyone got hurt. Of course, at the time I had no idea I'd actually be USING it," Nadeshiko said. After putting away the disinfectant and tossing the cotton ball into the trashcan, she turned to Watanabe, "Speaking of which, he'll be in soon to take a look at your hand. Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?"

Watanabe waved her off, "No that's ok, it's just a little burn." He held up his ridiculously bandaged hand, no visible signs of any fingers, "My wonderful Nadeshiko-sensei fixed me right up, so it feels much better now."

Nadeshiko's eye twitched, "Boy, you better shut up while you're ahead." This sent Watanabe into a state of fear, despair running down his head. "There you go Rin, you're a little banged up so you might be sore for a couple days, otherwise…"

Sia couldn't hold it any longer, launching herself at Rin and hugging him once again, continuing to cry into his shoulder although much softer than before. His aching muscles told him that this was not a welcome gesture, no matter how sad and sweet it was. Still, he let her find solace in his embrace, gently touching her arm that was wrapped around his chest. Sia only hugged him tighter.

Nadeshiko cocked her head, the right half of her mouth curling to a slight smile. She sighed, reminiscing on her younger days (which she would claim weren't long ago at all). The day was ending, the chaos had subdued, all that was left was for her to do was tidy up the nurses room.

"Hey sensei, what's going to happen to Gyouji and his goons?"

The mention of his name jilted Sia, although not enough to cause much of a reaction. "The police picked them up a little while ago. But they're juveniles, not to mention that he comes from a prestigious family, so I have no idea how long he'll be in custody."

"Rin-kun…" Sia sniffed out, lifting her eyes up to meet his, "I'd…I'd like to go home now, if that's ok."

Rin smiled, patting her head, "Sure thing Sia-chan. Sensei? Is it alright?"

Nadeshiko nodded, "It is. But if you want we can wait for Anthony-sensei to get here, and I'll come with you. It shouldn't be long."

"Thank you sensei, but I think we'll get going now."

Nadeshiko nodded, "Very well then, you two take care of yourselves."

-------------------

Moments later, Rin and Sia were slipping on their outside shoes, Watanabe standing by the door with his hands behind his head.

"Is it all right for you to leave without telling Anthony-sensei?" Rin asked Watanabe.

"Meh, Nadeshiko-sensei will explain it to him. I might get some flak in a couple days but nothing I can't handle."

"You sure like to push his buttons," Sia said sheepishly, a tiny smile pursing around her lips.

Watanabe raised his hands head-level, sighing, "Tony-sensei doesn't have buttons. He has one large, red button that says 'DON'T PUSH' in big letters. What do you expect me to do?"

Rin had his shoes on faster than Sia, which was probably a good thing as he saw Watanabe motioning for him to join him. He was reluctant, but slowly snuck by Sia to Watanabe's side. In doing so, Watanabe wrapped an arm around his neck and brought his mouth close to Rin's ear.

"I'll be about twenty yards behind you two, so if you want to grab for anything go ahead and do it without repercussion from me."

Rin's left eye suddenly developed the twitch again, "How kind of you…"

"If you want your privacy with her, just wave or give me some kind of sign and I'll be gone in no time."

"Ok how about this?" Rin asked, holding up a middle finger, an inch away from Watanabe's face.

He scoffed, "Fine then, if you want to be that rude I'll use that as the signal."

"No. You don't understand. I'm giving it now," Rin replied apathetically.

Watanabe gasped, "Right here in the school?! You're an animal!"

The force of Rin's punch made Watanabe buckle over his arm, groaning pathetically in pain. Not long after that, Sia walked up to the two looking up at Rin, her eyes still showing off a hint of fear and worry. Although the mood was lighter than it was, Rin still recognized the seriousness of the situation. He removed his fist from Watanabe's stomach, who stumbled back a couple steps into the door. Sia slowly wrapped her hands and arms around Rin's right arm, nuzzling her face into the soft muscle of his bicep. As he held the door open for them, Watanabe waited a couple seconds to give them enough space, and when the distance was right he proceeded in following them.

-----------------------

"And then what happened?" Rin asked Sia, who still clung to his arm but had settled for resting her cheek against it instead of her entire face.

She sniffled, still feeling a bit uncomfortable bringing it up. But Rin was by her side, and every word they spoke to each other only made her feel better, "They started taking pictures of me, tied up and naked. But they didn't stop, they just continued to strip me and take pictures. He said if I didn't give up on you and marry him he would send the pictures across the school, my home, everywhere that he could. He said he would ruin my reputation and that he would start…" she paused, burying herself deeper into Rin's arm, "…by ruining me for marriage."

If Sia wasn't latched onto his right arm, he probably would have reached over and punched something. His left hand curled into a fist, his nails digging into his palm.

"But…" Sia continued, "I'm ok now. Because my Rin came to my rescue." She looked up at him, the first time she truly smiled in hours. Rin could feel the anger wash away from him, Sia's beautiful face looking up at him with watered-over eyes.

"It…it was nothing," he replied, turning his blushing face in the other direction. This only made Sia hug him tighter, actually pushing him towards the buildings on his left. Rin tried to protest, but it was no use, Sia had a death grip on his arm.

"I'm still scared though," she told him, trying her hardest to sound frightened, "I might need Rin-kun to sleep in the same bed as me to protect me during the night."

"N-N-Now wait a minute Sia-chan. I don't think your father would approve of that."

"Aiya!" She yelped, pushing him closer towards the buildings, "I'm so scared Rin-kun!"

Small sweatdrops ran down the back of Rin's head, who looked exhaustingly at her, "Sia-chan…"

"My father won't mind. In fact he's been trying to push me to act more frightened and startled, for previously mentioned reasons."

_"Why does that not surprise me?" _Rin thought to himself.

"I hope you don't mind but…" Sia looked up at him, her cheeks bright red. She turned away enough to hide her cheeks, but still was able to peek at him from the corner of her eye, "…I don't sleep in much during the summer."

The thought of Sia in one single, large T-shirt was the first thing that passed through Rin's mind, the large sleeves barely covering up her hands while the bottom of the shirt just barely reached past her panty line. Knowing Sia too well, she probably even went to bed in her underwear, her supple breasts barely supported by one, tiny, lacy bra. Or maybe she went to bed in something less than that.

Rin could feel his nose begin to run, quickly acting to squeeze his nostrils together hoping it wasn't what he thought it was, "Sia-chan! I never said I was going to sleep with you!"

Sia squealed, pushing him further into the sidewalk. The passerby's didn't settle her down one bit, teasing Rin with thoughts of her slender frame in less than a bathing suit. The sun was setting, although it still hung high in the sky. The rest of the walk home would prove to be fast, evening never truly settling in.

All the while, Watanabe looked at the two of them from a distance. His cheek puffed out in frustration, a depressed look in his eyes.

---------------------------

"Gyouji-sama, your mother has instructed us that we bring you home immediately!" A tall god turned to him, trying not to take too much of his attention away from the road. That did not please Gyouji, as he raised his foot into the air and kicked the dashboard.

"Fuck that bitch! She was completely against my father when he was still alive. Equality my ass, why should God's adhere to the like of humans and demons?"

Nobody in the car answered him. The driver bit his tongue to keep from lashing out at the boy, the guard in the back of the car not giving another thought to it. It was pitch black outside, his body was tired from this last night excursion to bail out the Master from jail and he had a wife to get home to. This boy's rants were the same thing every day, so it was easy to ignore him.

"But enough of that. I'll be old enough to properly wrest control of my family in a couple months, then we'll see who gets the last laugh. I'll decimate Tsuchimi Rin, I'll make him wish he was never born."

"Gyouji-sama! How do you expect to do ANYTHING after today?! The Japanese legal system might be lenient on you, but you attacked the Lord of God's DAUGHTER! Do you think he'll let you get away with it?!"

Whether he hit a cord or just infuriated Gyouji, he didn't know. All that happened was Gyouji punching straight through the dashboard of the car, slowly pulling his fist back out, scratches and cuts running all over his fingers and wrist. He looked at the driver with intensified hatred, his fist trembling, "Who do you think you're talking to?"

The driver reeled back in fright, quickly changing his vision to the road ahead. There was no arguing with Gyouji, for a spoiled brat he was very influential in many ways. It didn't make the driver respect him any, however. Continuing to look back and forth between him and the road, he began to mumble.

"Rotten little…"

He never finished what he wanted to say. The lights of the car rounded a corner only to meet head on with a statuesque figure standing in waiting of the car. The screeching of the brakes deafened the three in the car, accompanied with the powerful force of physics that sent Gyouji slamming into the passenger side window. There was a loud but swift sound, unrecognizable to him, like the scraping of metal on metal. Gyouji waited patiently for the thud of the person standing out in the middle of the road, but it never came. Instead, the car quickly slowed to a stop nearly flipping on its side.

The blow to his head wasn't much; he had prepared for it the moment he saw the figure in the road. For that matter, he didn't care much for that person either. It was his fault for standing in the middle of the road in the dead of night.

"Driver! Let's go, I want to get out of here as fast as possible!"

There was no answer.

"Driver?! Driver are you listening?!"

Again there was no answer. Infuriated, Gyouji reached over and grabbed the driver by the collar of his shirt, forcing the driver to face him, "Are you deaf?! I said-"

Gyouji stopped. He stopped dead in the middle of his sentence. It wasn't the snapping of flesh that stopped Gyouji, it was how only the top half of the chauffeur moved when Gyouji grabbed him. With horror-stricken eyes he looked across the driver, to see that there was a long, perfect gash in the metal and glass of the driver's side. What the hell had they hit?

It wasn't until his right arm had fallen away from the elbow that Gyouji bolted from the car, retching and gagging on his own vomit. Then he looked up. The figure was alive, well, and walking towards them.

"Ga-Ga-GUARD!" Gyouji yelled, hoping that his other bodyguard was conscious. Indeed he was, the door of the car kicking out to be followed by the barrel of a pistol. The guard emerged, his pistol aimed directly at the figure who took his time walking towards them.

"Freeze!" he yelled at the figure. It didn't stop. It took its time gaining ground on them, but it was definitely coming towards them.

"Shoot him!" Gyouji yelled, panic-stricken.

The guard hesitated. The figure was completely unarmed, no guns in his hands or anything. Instead his wrist was bent backwards at his waist.

"_A magic-user," _the guard thought. Still, he had been trained to shoot as a last resort, and if this person was a magic-user, they would have been attacked by now. Instead, he yelled out one more time, "Freeze!"

The figure still didn't listen, nearly ten yards away from them at that moment.

"Dammit stop being a pussy! Kill him!"

In the dim light, it was impossible to make out any distinctive marks about the figure. They were underneath a light from a telephone pole, far away from the city, but the figure was only illuminated by the light of the moon. The child behind him never quieted down, oh if murder was tolerated. Raising the pistol to eye level, he fired.

The still wrist came to life, swiping across the front of the figure's body in a flash. No wait. There was a flash. A flash of sparks. Something happened to the bullet.

The guard took a few steps back, stunned. If the sparks were any indication of the trajectory of the bullet, it would have hit him right in the heart. He raised his gun and fired twice.

Another array of sparks appeared from thin air, the figure twisting his wrist like he was an acrobat.

_"He must be deflecting the bullets!" _the guard screamed in his mind. It wouldn't matter, as long as he calmed down and focused, he couldn't possibly deflect them all.

As the figure got closer, the distinct sounds of bullets clashing with metal was recognizable. But how? There was nothing in his hands. Closer he drew, bullets bouncing off his force field like they were nothing. Finally, the figure came into the streetlight.

He was tall, immense almost. Slender and well built, every inch of his body was given away by the skin-tight, black, padded body suit he wore. On his head, he wore a large helmet, his face protected by a transparent visor that showed off his blue eyes.

The guard was panicking, he had lost all calm and reasoning. The figure was no more than ten feet away and completely unharmed. His gun had run out of bullets, but no. This was not a time to give up. He still had some time to reload, pressing the button on the pistol that dropped the magazine onto the ground. Quickly, he reached behind his back into his belt for one of his spare…

The wrist that was so acrobatic arched upwards towards him, and the guard stopped.

Gyouji trembled in fear, waiting for the guard to do what he was paid to do. He opened his mouth to yell at him, to discipline him. But it's hard to yell at someone, when blood begins to seep through the median of his entire body.

He screamed, pushing himself back onto the car as the guard dropped to his knees, then to the ground. His eyes shrunk back as the figure stopped, his menacing physique looming over him. He reached up and unhinged the straps of his helmet, his long, gray hair tumbling down behind his back.

"It's…it's…" Gyouji looked up at him, at this tall demon. His dark eyes and long hair was so familiar, this was the same being that had threatened him only months early. The same being that had hindered his plans so long ago, "It's you!"

The demon looked at him apathetically, cradling his helmet in the arm opposite of his once flailing wrist. In a docile tone, he spoke, "What did I tell you?"

In a panic, Gyouji slammed into the car, pathetically climbing to his feet to look this demon into his eyes. He couldn't though, the demon was tall.

"I, I, I don't know!"

Through apathetic eyes, the demon spoke again, "I told you. If you were to interfere with my plans that you would pay for it."

"How-How was I to know that what you meant?!"

"Leave the girl alone. That is what I told you. And yet you continued to pursue her, obsess her, and even tried to damage her."

"Look, my family is very rich! Very powerful, we could give you anything, just let me go and I'll get it for you, promise!"

The demon was not amused, "I don't need anything from you. All I asked was that you leave the princess alone, as my plans for her far exceed yours in importance."

"Don't…don't talk to me like that," Gyouji hissed, running the spectrum of emotions and reactions, hoping one of them would give off something he could use against him. It didn't work, as the demon raised his hand in the air, pressing his thumb against his middle finger.

"This is what I do to people who don't follow my order."

His fingers snapped, and the fuse to the light above them blew out, covering them in complete darkness.

The demon didn't move, didn't make a sound. The only sound Gyouji could hear was his own heart, his own heavy breathing. How long would he make him wait? What would he do? Was he going to fight him?

_"Okay, if it's a fight he wants, I'll be glad to give it to him. Don't underestimate me, trash like you doesn't even deserve to…"_

Thud! Something landed on the car behind him. The demon? No. He was still in front of him. The moonlight gave it off. He didn't move an inch since the light flickered out, so what could it be.

Gyouji felt the hot breath of a living being on his neck. Gyouji heard the low growling of a wild animal sizing up his prey. Gyouji knew something was behind him.

Whipping around in a panic, Gyouji came face to face with a dark entity. But it wasn't a wild animal. It was shaped just like him! It was shaped just like the demon before him! It was shaped just like that piece of trash Tsuchimi Rin!

It was human.

Except, that is, for the large, razor-sharp teeth that glistened in the moonlight. Teeth that conformed to the smile of its lips.

The figure hung off the car like a cat, its back twisted in a peculiar way to mold the windshield of the car. And like a cat, it opened its jaws and pounced towards him.

**END**

Writers Block:

A heavy Sia chapter I know, it'll equal out in the next chapter. Not that I'm sure some of you don't mind more Sia. 

I got some good news and bad news.

Good news: I've canceled my WoW subscription, so I'll have a ton of time to write.

Bad news: Finals are coming up in the next couple weeks, so writing time will be down.

Again, it took a while to produce this chapter, but it was all due to WoW. I was getting last play time in before I finished it for good. Like I said, finals are coming up soon, but afterwards I'll have most of the summer to work. I hope to finish a lot of work on this story by the end of summer, if not all of it. I'm keeping myself busy with other activities like games and working out so I don't just drone on in my story (even though this chapter was exceedingly long).

Once again, please go to my profile page to keep updated on _Shuffle!Hope_ and when I make changes to a particular chapter. One more piece of information I'm looking for, I posted it in chapter 9 and would really like someone to answer it. So it here it is again!

_And now I shall address one more question to the dedicated __Shuffle!__ fans. And yes, it involves Sia and Nerine's mothers. I've searched the Japanese homepage in hopes of recognizing a number that would represent their ages; alas I've only found height and some other numbers that make no sense to me. Eventually I'll understand hiragana, katakana, etc. In the mean time, I would like it if someone with knowledge of the Shuffle! Aniverse could tell me the ages of the girls' mothers. If you can give me the girls ages as well that would be great. I'm assuming, since it's based off an H-Game and since the characters are in high school that the two girls are 16-17 years old, but an exact age would be fantastic. That goes with the girls' mothers too, since there is so little data in English on them that I can find._

Thank you for your time, and I hope you look forward to the next installment of _Shuffle!Hope_ as much as I look forward to write it.

Chapter 12: Rin and the girls return to school. But something might stop Rin from missing class.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: _Shuffle!_ and all characters therein are property of outside companies and I claim no ownership of them.

A NOTE TO ALL READERS: In the course of writing _Shuffle!Hope_ I am bound to make mistakes in grammar and especially in the story itself. Thereby, I implore all who read this to check my personal profile page for updates on _Shuffle!Hope_. It will give clear details on what chapters I'm updating and what in those chapters I am updating. And now without further adieu, here is chapter twelve of _Shuffle!Hope_.

**_Shuffle!Hope_**

"Rin-sama!" Nerine yelled loudly as she stretched her arms wide to him, "Please enjoy this meal I made!"

Laid out in front of him, a gourmet of all sorts. Beautifully constructed sushi placed so each color of the meat complimented the other. Large bowls of udon and homemade ramen noodles, there were also western bowls too, steak and Italian pasta to name a few. All made by her hands and all made for Rin.

Happily she watched Rin from across the table, holding her clasped hands at her waist. The apron was only there as a tease, barely covering up her ample chest and her extra-short skirt. The thought of her provoking Rin with this particular moe display hadn't even crossed her mind…really.

"Nerine-chan…" Rin muttered in sultry voice as he pushed away from his seat at the grand banquet. His hand glided along the smooth lines of the table as he rounded the corners to where Nerine stood.

"Yes Rin-sama?" She said, her face still radiating of joy. All of that stopped, however, as he wrapped his arm around her waist bringing her closer to his body, "Oh Rin-sama…"

"The only thing I'm hungry for tonight, Nerine-chan…is you," he whispered into her ear before placing his nose into it and inhaling deeply.

Even though her face was redder than any color imaginable, she had passively protested, "Oh Rin-sama, I'm so flattered…but I'm high in saturated fats and carbohydrates, this meal is much better suited for you."

"Nerine-chan, my stomach isn't what's empty…it's my heart," he whispered again, breathing gently on her neck.

Still she protested, placing her hand to his chest, "Rin-sama, it is still light outside, somebody might see us."

"It's not light outside, Nerine-chan…"

Indeed it wasn't light as Nerine had thought before; it was actually very dark. The only light from the surrounding area seemed to be from her dining room and even that was slowly getting dimmer. Once again, however, she protested, "Oh Rin-sama, we shouldn't do this…"

The breathing on her neck stopped as he slowly pulled away from her. A gentle smile pursed his lips as he stared at Nerine lovingly, "As you wish, Nerine-"

The hand that was placed on his chest tightened, grabbing his shirt to prevent him from moving any further from her.

"I didn't say stop," she said bluntly, although she said it in a very passive tone. Again he moved closer to her, obeying her now vocal desires. The breath on the most sensitive part of her neck was becoming hotter, and hotter. He placed a hand above the fissure of her cleavage, instructing her to lie down on the now empty table. She obeyed graciously, shifting her body so he could lie over top of her.

Trapped between his two arms (much to her joy), the only movement she could do was stretch her wanting arms towards him, past his head. She never grabbed onto his head, however, as she used the proximal parts of her arms to press against her chest, amplifying her enormous cleavage to many times it's original size. Her breasts held back only by a failing apron, her naked legs rubbing together like a cricket calling to its mate, she stared lovingly into his loving eyes and in a tiny voice, she said…

"Bon appetite…"

-----------------------

"Rin-sama!" Nerine yelled loudly, kicking at her sheets and bedspread. Despite her vigorous flailing, the thin cloth stuck to her like glue. "Oh Rin-sama, that's doesn't belong on the table!"

A squeal escaped the shifting mattress as Nerine continued to say Rin's name over, and over again. The pillow, finally escaping her strangling grasp, fell to the floor permanently molded into an hourglass figure. Her legs flew into the air again, kicking with her squealing and giggling, until she herself bolted upright from her bed. Legs stretched out in front of her, one half covered by her sheets and part of her blanket, the other not covered at all, she finally awoke from her dream.

With sleepy eyes she surveyed the area of her bedroom. Half-closed, with her bed-hair falling into her eyes, it was difficult for her to recognize it at first after such a…fantastic sequence of events. She blinked once, then twice. Then all at once it came to her; she was back in her own bedroom. Slowly her eyes widened as the blood rushed to her face giving the impression of a rising thermometer. When the thermometer hit its peak and her eyes, as large as saucers, wouldn't stretch any further, she let out one, long, frustrated squeal into her blanket, kicking again with embarrassment. She threw herself into the mattress and pulled the blanket over her head, moaning pathetically as she tried in vain to fall back asleep. But it was no use. The sun was peeking into her window, and she knew that she had to get up. With teary eyes, she poked her head out from under her fortress into the window. It was time for school to start.

--------------------

"Rim-chan!" Kaede called from the bottom of the stairs, "It's time for school!"

From the stairs Kaede could hear the tapping of feet on hardwood floor and within seconds Primula had come into view, ribbon in her mouth and schoolbag in her hand. A frantic look on her face as she tried to button her shirt, Kaede knew that she was heading straight for disaster but alas it was too late for her to do anything about it. In one long step Primula landed on air, the ribbon leaving her mouth as it glided gently to the floor. Primula was not so graceful. The over-extended step into nothingness forced her planted foot to launch her off the only foothold she had, into the now-yelling form of Kaede.

They collided in a loud yelp as both of their bags went flying in different directions. With the wind knocked out of the both of them, they just laid there in a huddled mass, their eyes swirling inside their head. Kaede was the first to snap out of the trance, wearily pushing the still-dizzy Primula to her knees and gently shaking her.

"Rim-chan! Rim-chan wake up!"

"Oni-chan…let's go to the zoo today…" the dazed demon said, her head bobbing with Kaede's shaking. Kaede called out her name again but to no avail, and there was little time left. The first part was difficult enough, untangling her legs from Primula's, but after collecting their things and Primula's lunch, Kaede had another problem to deal with, trying to get Primula on her feet and out the door.

"_She should have snapped to by now,"_ Kaede thought to herself as they made their way out the door and to the street. It was when they were halfway to her gate when she realized that she'd forgotten her own lunch.

"Ahh!" She yelped, quickly turning around and heading back into the house. And letting go of Primula.

Primula floated to the ground, an exasperated breath escaping her lips as the front half of her body slid away from the lower half, her buttocks far in the air showing off her panties. Kaede had taken no more than a step before she realized Primula wasn't completely back yet. Conflicted between her friend and her perfect attendance, she reached out for Primula, then for her front door. She turned back and forth between the two, tears welling in her eyes.

"Kaede-chan!" A perky voice called out to her from behind a bush next to her house. As soon as her voice reached Kaede's ears, Sia poked her head out from around the bush, a large smile on her face. Upon seeing Primula's rear in the air, her eyes spinning in her head, and Kaede's sobbing figure that now sat on the ground, knees together but legs spread apart, Sia gulped slightly.

"Sia-chan…" a broken Kaede called out to her, the color of her eyes completely washed away by the tears that formed in them. Sia smiled nervously, a large sweatdrop running down the back of her head.

After several minutes of consoling and cradling, things began to look up Kaede and Primula this busy morning. Primula, although still on the ground, was now completely conscious alibi with a sour look on her face. Holding her head in her arms, Sia offered comforting words to her about "the first day of school" and "meeting new friends" but mostly about Rin. Still, even with all the Rin talk, Primula kept a stern face.

"Okay…I have my lunch now!" An exhausted Kaede gasped out, trotting out to meet her friends. Also in her hands was a small, blue ice pack. Taking Primula's chin in hand Kaede placed it to the red bump appearing on her forehead.

"Thank you Kaede…" a blushing Primula said to her, not used to but liking the attention she was getting. Was that so wrong, even with two large pair of breasts hovering close to her face? But Primula's mind wandered.

"Kaede-chan," Sia said nervously, gently helping Primula to her feet, "We're going to be late if we don't get going soon. Are you sure you have your lunch Kaede-chan?" Jesting at Kaede's faulty memory. Kaede didn't find it amusing however, pouting slightly which resulted in Sia and Primula having to console and comfort Kaede, Sia apologizing incessantly.

"Good morning…" a weary Nerine called to them from the other side of the house's gate. Had she been more awake there was a good chance there would be four girls hugging each other this morning.

"Good morning Rin-chan," Sia greeted her coming out of Kaede's yard, "You look exhausted, what happened?"

Nerine placed her hand to her forehead, "I'm alright…I've just been having some problems sleeping."

"Having that dream again?" Kaede asked. She was surprised to see a smile purse her lips.

"Yes…" Nerine replied, looking on the ground. At the revelation of what was just asked, she bolted awake and began waving her arms furiously, "Yes! I mean! No! I mean, I've just been having trouble falling asleep! Very excited about the first day back to school!" Hoping to pass her words off as the truth, she gave a heart-felt laugh. The others seemed to buy it.

After a moment of relaxation, large smiles became plastered over all of their faces, their very souls glowing through their visage.

"Come on!" Sia yelled, turning away from the others, "We don't want to be late!"

With their school bags in their hands, tucked next to the bento-boxes they would eat at lunch, they all ran off after Sia, giggling, laughing, and talking all the way to the school.

------------------------

It was unusual for Rin to be the first one to school; a thought similar to this passed through his mind. He looked around the gate and schoolyard and all the students passing through them. Many were distraught; they didn't even try to hide their displeasure for being back into school. The gloomiest of them not even bothering to hide the fact that their summer homework was not completely finished. Being adept to reading people's faces, Rin had no problem guessing exactly how much each and every sour face had completed.

"_Nobuyuki…didn't finish three assignments,"_ Rin thought to himself, casually inspecting each person that walked through the gate, _"Shigeru…two assignments. Saeko…just one for her…"_

His mind came to a stop when a familiar, despondent face shuffled past him, looking the most distraught of any of the students that passed through earlier.

"Good morning Mayumi-chan, I see you didn't finish about four assignments," he said, feeling a bit cocky. This, of course, initiated a glance of death from her. Slowly she diverged her path from the school to Rin, her body eerily swaying like a woman on the verge of death.

"I will have you know…" she said in a low, sinister tone, "That I DID finish all of my assignments this summer. It took tons of note copying from _friends_ (indicating that Rin was of no help to her), and I was up until three in the morning last night, but I DID finish all of my assignments and homework and if you know what's good for you, you'd keep your smug attitude to yourself about it."

Rin gulped. Although his predictions and readings weren't off by much, such a large margin (with Mayumi no doubt) made him realize that he was slipping. However, there was something to be said about the death stare that Mayumi was continuing to give him. Frightening in it's own right, Rin also found it slightly amusing, the corner of mouth curling ever so slightly.

Still giving him an evil stare she spoke again, trying to change the subject of her school performance, "So where are your stupid counterparts?"

"Here comes one of them," Rin said as he pointed off the school grounds. In an extremely similar fashion that Mayumi trudged into the grounds, so too did a certain spiky-haired demon. This one even leaving a wake of despair, Rin could have sworn his footprints left an unholy aura when he picked it up. His suspicions were confirmed when others students carefully tip-toed around them, an unlucky one who stepped through it had a perverted wind knock her schoolbag bag out of her hands and sent her skirt flittering far above her waist. No one else seemed to have been affected by the wind.

"Too easy?" Mayumi asked, looking slightly better than she had earlier.

"Too easy…" Rin replied, feeling slight twangs of pity. Turning back to Mayumi and the conversation at hand, he spoke again, "As for Itsuki, he's in the school already, I saw him walk in as I was coming in."

Mayumi looked away from him, "And knowing that idiot he probably finished everything within a week of getting them."

Rin laughed, he remembered Itsuki bragging how free his summer was. This of course, issued another death glare from Mayumi, who had a pretty good idea what he was laughing at.

"Rin-kun! (-sama!) Mayumi-chan!" Three melodious voices called out to them. The despair spread across Mayumi's face was wiped clean as she perked up to see the four female neighbors walking towards them, all of whom smiling wide at the sight of Rin and Mayumi.

They too, called out their names, which turned out to be more of a workout then what it should have been. Walking out to them, the six met about fifty yards in front of the school gate, immediately engaging in conversation.

The talk between them was no different than any other, asking how their day was, were they ready for school, were their assignments finished, the usual talk after a long and relaxing summer. Their personalities, too, conflicted with their conversations. Sia and Nerine playfully flirting with Rin, Kaede becoming flustered and embarrassed, all the while Primula just smiling at the randomness of the group while Mayumi had her fun teasing Rin and the others.

All of this was cut short, however, when the school bell chimed loudly in their ears. In one collective, widening of the eyes and mouth, they screamed…

"WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR SCHOOL!"

------------------------

"Bye Rin-chan! Bye Kaede-chan! Bye – whoops!" Sia hollered, Rin dragging her by the arm before she could get Mayumi's name out. They all waved to her and gave a whispering "See you later", which was plenty for Sia. She didn't have time to enjoy Rin's hand grasped onto hers as they soon came to their own room, class 3-C. With one, powerful surge of strength, Rin forced open the door.

And came face-to-face with a very irritated foreign professor.

They stared at each other for a moment, Rin and Sia's faces increasing with panic, Anthony's with an increasing rise of fury. None of them spoke a word however; they just stared at each other.

What happened next, Rin isn't sure what made him do it. Maybe it was living in too close a proximity to Watanabe for so long. Slowly, as if Anthony wasn't towering over them, he closed the door. Sia just looked at Rin; her eyebrow cocked signifying that she was baffled as to why he just did that. He didn't even know why he did it. From the door handle, his face remaining that of a deer caught in the headlights, he turned to Sia.

"So um…what do we do now?" He asked, unsure of himself.

The door slammed open, causing Sia to shriek and bolt from the area. Anthony was faster, however, as his long arms reached out and grabbed the both of them by the collar of their shirts, which only caused Sia to shriek again. With inhuman strength he lifted the both of them up off of the ground and walked into the now giggling classroom. The laughing continued way past the point when Anthony dropped Rin into his seat, and gently set Sia down next to hers, both of their faces a deep shade of red.

"Now as I was saying," Anthony spoke up, turning away from them, "The first task we are going to complete today is new seating arrangements. We'll draw them out of a hat, and from there on they'll be your new seating assignments for the rest of the year…"

This caused many mixed reactions among the students, some hooting, some groaning, some continuing to snore. Rin found himself in an even more interesting position this year, having been placed in the center of the classroom, Itsuki to his immediate right, Watanabe behind Itsuki, and Sia immediately in front of him.

"_It's as if the Gods don't want me separated from these three…"_ Rin thought. Soon he realized that the Gods, as flustered as they got, probably did have to do something with the seating arrangements. _"At least one of them…"_ Rin thought as Sia turned to him and smiled.

---------------------

The rest of the school day passed quietly enough. Rin found himself once again eating lunch with Itsuki and all the girls he had come to know at Verbena on top of the roof, and on his walk home Watanabe made sure that he would be right beside him the entire way. Had Rin not slammed the door in his face, he might have followed him inside too. And so, as the night passed by, Rin once again awoke to the early morning sun, accompanied by a meager meal and…

"HOLY CRAP I MISSED WORK!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. His clock did not lie, neither of them. Both read seven o'clock, much later than he was supposed to be at work. Mouth agape, he slowly pressed the buttons that read the alarm time.

"I…I know I set it to earlier than this…" he gasped out completely exasperated. This was the first time he's ever missed work, all of it. There was a chance that he could make it to work, and not be docked too heavily for it. But no, school was in half-an-hour, and it would take him that long to get into school and be ready for it.

The time after his breakfast involved some slight rush through the shower and grabbing his belongings. Before leaving, however, he made sure to call in to work and apologize for his absence, which to his relief his boss gave a hearty laugh and told him he understood.

"**I'm surprised you haven't missed work yet due to oversleeping or a missed alarm," **a reassuring voice told him, **"Just come into work tomorrow a little early, alright Rin-san? And check your phone, I tried calling but you never answered, it might be broken."**

"Y-Yes sir!" Rin replied ecstatically. With that problem safely tucked away, Rin slipped out the door into the waiting sun from the hallway window.

"Morning Rin-kun…" a sleepy Watanabe greeted him from down the hall.

"You look like you pulled another all-nighter," Rin commented. Suddenly a thought came to him, "Hey Nabe, can you call my phone please? It's…"

"Five five five, one zero zero eight," Watanabe said, cutting him off. Before Rin could comment he had pressed the last button into his cell phone, and peeked up at him while holding the phone to his ear. Much to Rin's dismay, the phone set next to his bed rang loudly.

"I guess I didn't hear it…" he whispered. Slinging his school bag over his shoulder, he walked next to Watanabe and the two of them took off towards the steps of the building, Rin continuing to mutter to himself.

"You say something Rin-kun?" a more-awake Watanabe asked.

"Mmm, not really. I was just wondering why I didn't hear my phone ring this morning, I'm not that heavy a sleeper."

"I've slept through tropical storms before, sometimes you just get so tired that…" Watanabe stopped, his eye narrowing with a brilliant flash.

Rin sighed; he recognized that look anywhere. That was the look of a bloodthirsty animal that had caught the perfect prey, ready to tear into it with his claws and teeth to bring it down.

"Isn't it too early to be chasing tail Watanabe?"

"Rin, when you realize how short life is and all the pleasant and bountiful glories that reside within that short amount of time, you will come to realize that there is no such thing as 'too early' or 'too late'." Watanabe took one extremely creepy, slow step away from him, his eyes continuing to look like a predator on the prowl, "Oh look at that frame, she must be an athlete in a university…"

"I forgot that you and Itsuki were cut of the same leaf…" he said, exasperated. Still, school was minutes away and time was precious so Rin thought he'd move the along the process. Not really paying attention to the girl, he strode right by Watanabe, which consequently caused him to sputter at Rin with surprise.

"Excuse me Miss…" Rin said to the girl, whose green hair bounced with his voice, "I'm really sorry to bother you, but my friend over there has expressed interest in you, and if it isn't too much of a problem could you…"

His voice stopped, his entire heart stopped. How could he not notice her, even from the back? As time itself slowed to an excruciating speed, the girl had turned around to come face-to-face with him, hers looking as shocked as his.

"Rin…chan…?" Asa asked solemnly.

"Asa…sempai…?" Rin responded.

After several long seconds of rising tension between the two, Watanabe dropped the shock look that he too wore. Mouthing Asa's name, he realized this was something that he was not a part of, and so he turned and walked away, casually glancing back at them as he walked off.

----------------------

"Midoriba-san, I already told you my heart still belongs to Rin," a mentally exhausted Sia explained to Itsuki.

"I know Sia-chan, and you needn't try to explain it to me anymore, I merely state that if and when the time comes that you feel…unattached to Rin-san, you will always have me to give you the love that you so deserve," and with that he opened the door, bowing slightly.

Sia just laughed nervously, several sweatdrops running down her head, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind Itsuki…"

Upon entering the class, Sia's eyes immediately turned to the middle of the room, to her dismay, an empty desk. Watanabe was there, so why not Rin? She walked up to him, giving her usual greeting.

"Good morning Watanabe-san. Is Rin-kun coming today?"

Watanabe grumbled, which was muffled by his arms that he buried his face in. Sia leaned closer.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?"

Raising his head, he glared off to his right, "He's not coming in today."

"Yo Nabe-Nabe!" Itsuki greeted, taking his seat in front of him, "What's with the glum face? Did you get shot down today?"

Once again he grumbled something undistinguishable, burying his head into his arms again. This only caused Itsuki to laugh.

"Cheer up my friend! Some are not as entirely gifted in the way of women like me and Rin…say where is Rin?"

"That's what I was just asking him," Sia added, a slight hint of annoyance in her voice, "Is he alright?"

"He's **fine**," Watanabe blurted out in a frustrated tone. Itsuki and Sia were taken aback by the dismal attitude he displayed, and it didn't make it any better when he raised his head from his arms and peered off again, "He ran into a…friend," he said, carefully choosing his words, "I think they're going to spend the day together."

Itsuki blinked, wondering what it could mean. But to Sia, she had a guess that began to eat away at her insides slowly.

-----------------------

"So um…how have you been?" An extremely nervous Rin squeaked out, looking up at Asa from his coffee. They were stationed in a quaint café at an intersection of two roads, both of them having two small cups of coffee in their hands.

"Oh…good, good…" her voice trailed off, staring down into her coffee. Both of them silently agreed that this "date" was much, much more awkward then their first date to the amusement park. Asa began to rim the edge of her cup with her finger, her eyes casually glancing up at Rin and back to her cup.

"_Why am I having such a hard time talking to her?!"_ Rin yelled in his mind, _"Ok so I wasn't __**entirely**__ over her, but it shouldn't be this bad. This is just like the old times, like one of our old dates ok bad train of thought,"_ he could feel his feet begin to shake from anxiety, if he didn't say something soon he was going to explode, _"Just be calm. There is no reason to feel intimidated by her."_

"I guess you're wondering why I'm here," she said in response to the silence. Rin could see sorrowful eyes trying desperately not to look at him.

He thought for a moment, _"Well that's one question I have"_. When he realized that his mouth had inadvertently said what he was thinking it was too late.

"It's ok…" she muttered as he tried to protest, "I haven't been completely up front with you…but…there had to have been some warnings Rin."

Rin looked away from her, this conversation was bringing back unpleasant memories and feelings. But all in all she was right, there were signs two weeks before their break up. She forced a chuckle as she swirled her coffee.

"Anyway, mama needed some help around the house and university doesn't start for a week so…here I am."

There was something strange about Asa; she was acting very differently than from the time he knew her. Maybe it was just his presence that was causing it but she seemed so…relaxed. There was really no one word to put it, she didn't smile as much as she used to, but she didn't look unhappy. She appeared calmer but that makes it sound like she was hyperactive. Indeed, Asa still radiated brilliance and beauty (perhaps too much so to Rin), but she wasn't in a hurry anywhere.

"Something wrong Rin-chan?" She asked out of the blue. Apparently his thoughts had wandered off with him, as once again he began stumbling over his words. One thing still stayed in his mind though; she still referred to him as –chan.

"Do you have to call me –chan, Asa-sempai?" He asked sheepishly.

"Do you have to call me –sempai, Rin-chan?" She responded without a moment's beat, the corner of her mouth curling to a smile. And for the first time in the last thirty minutes, Rin too smiled.

"Sorry, old habits die hard," Rin said, chuckling to himself. Asa brought a hand to her smiling face, giggling as well.

"I caught you every now and then when we were dating too, remember…" her voice trailed off, the look of distraught on Rin's face indicating that, despite the mood moments before, this was not something to just idly bring into the conversation. "Sorry…" she whispered, "It's probably been harder for you."

"_No shit…"_ Rin thought, able to keep it to himself this time. Although with the way his face had been giving off his emotions over the past forty or so minutes, Asa probably had an idea.

"Before I answer the next question, I want to hear you say it first. Only because I want to make sure we're on the same page," she said in response to his confused look.

His fingers twiddled with each other as he pained himself to speak out what has been on his mind for a very long time, "Well, Asa-sem, I mean san…why did you, we break up?"

For as hard as it was to say that simple little line, Rin took great offense to how easily she was able to respond to him, "Rin-chan, I don't know what you've thought over the past three months or how much of that might be true but…I do still love you…" she said as she looked right into his eyes. Although Rin had thought it possible, hearing the words were a completely different feeling altogether.

"Then…how come you…?"

"Let me finish," she interrupted. Her mouth curved into a tiny smile as if she was remembering fond memories, "I can't say that my time with you were some of the happiest moments of my life and I wouldn't want to trade them for anything. But then I went to college, and, I became worried. I wasn't able to see you every day like I wanted to, work was becoming harder for me both in school and out of it, and to top it off you too had your own life," she looked up, seeing the semi-shocked impression on his face. Still, she wore a smile, "Now I know what you're thinking, you're thinking that shouldn't have mattered because we are, were in love. And on the grand scale of things it didn't, but it certainly didn't make things easier for me. Especially because…" Her voice caught in her throat, the smile vanishing.

"Because of what?" Rin asked. By the look of her face, Rin could easily tell that she was ashamed to say whatever was coming next.

"Because…because I wasn't the only woman in your life…" she said softly, trying desperately not to look him in the eyes. Indeed, they were hard not to look at, considering how large they were.

"Um…excuse me? What do you mean, you know I've never loved anyone more than…"

"That's not what I meant," Asa blurted out. She recoiled, expecting Rin to lash out at her. He didn't though; he just sat there, irritated and probably angry, but patient for her to continue, "Well…in a sense it is what I meant. As the months went by, I was becoming more and more worried about you…about everyone else. I mean, when I was there, with you and everyone in front of me whenever I wanted to, I knew that deep down there was nothing to worry about. But as I saw couples go by on campus, I saw guys and girls with two different people all in the course of a day…I became distraught. 'Maybes' and 'what ifs' became a routine in my daily schedule, there were times I couldn't concentrate on my work. I…I just couldn't continue to live like that…"

"So, Kaede and Nerine and Sia were the problem then? Asa I loved – I still love you, I would do anything for you even…"

"Even give up your friends and family? Even stop being who you are – the person I fell in love with?" Through teary eyes and a forced smile she stared longingly into his eyes. She was right, though. For her to have asked such a thing from him, _"from me"_, he thought, would be even more cruel than to break up with him.

"But…" the rebellious side in Rin spoke up demanding Asa return to him, "Friends go on. We all go through stages where we meet people and then lose touch…"

"You're right…" she looked down at her cup then back at him, "That's why I had to move on…it's not something you can force, it just happens. And, as I'm sure you know, our relationship was changing too." Wiping a tear from her eye, she continued, "I love Kaede-chan, and Rin-chan, and Sia-chan, and Rim**-**chan, but knowing that they were still in love with you, that they'd always be, was not something I was ready to deal with. Besides…they weren't the only reason…"

The reason Rin feared had come up. He had been dreading this since he received that phone call at the beginning of the summer, the one thing other than Itsuki and Watanabe that made him angry.

"We met a couple months into the year, we had a Literature class together. We were both attracted to each other, but because I loved you I didn't think much of it. But as time grew on, as my heart yearned for you more and more, I found comfort in him. I…didn't cheat on you," she gave a reassuring 'heh', "I could never, EVER do that to you Rin-chan. But something was happening between us that was very similar to what happened between you and me…and…when that time came…I realized that I couldn't continue loving you like I had."

In his heart he knew there was another guy. In his heart he knew that things between him and Asa had faltered. So, in his heart, in his mind, he was astounded at how well his body reacted to this.

"So…" he muttered, "You say you still love me?"

"With all my heart," she said without missing a beat, "But…"

"It…wasn't meant to be…" he finished her.

Silence fell over them again; not a soul walked by their table that they could hear not even the tiniest chirp by a bird. The entire world had stopped for them.

"You're right…" he muttered again, staring deeply into his now freezing coffee, "I could never stop being friends with Kaede…with Nerine…with Sia…with any of them. I don't want to imagine them not in my life, just like I ever wanted to imagine you not in it…"

"Rin-kun…" the tears had begun to rise from her heart and were forming lipid pools in the corner of her eyes. She was crying, because Rin too, was crying.

"And I was thinking…for so long…what I could have done to prevent it but I knew…at least I think I did…that there was nothing I could have done…."

Asa brought her hand to her mouth to stop her from hiccuping the tears away as she whispered his name again. When he finally raised his head from his coffee, to no longer hide the tears that streamed down his face, her eyes too let loose the tears.

"I'm sorry Asa-san…" he wheezed out, "I love you, but I could never not love the others."

"I. Wouldn't. Want. You to." She gasped out through the fingers in her hand. The noise from around them came into focus, and although some slowed down to stare at them with curiosity, they all respected the once-couple's privacy and continued on their way.

------------------

Rising a hand to Rin's door before quickly pulling it away, this had been going on for the past twenty minutes.

"Ok calm down. 'Rin, how are you?' No don't be stupid, he wouldn't be well. 'How'd the talk with Asa go' oh…probably bad. 'Hey Rin! Want to go out and do something together?!' Bah! He probably doesn't even want to see me now. Just think! There has got to be an easy way to go about this without ruffling his feathers. Remember, most importantly, first and **foremost**, he's your friend."

"Watanabe-kun? What are you doing?" A curious Nerine asked as she and Kaede stepped into the hallway of Rin and Watanabe's apartment. The deep breath that Watanabe was in the middle of became so large that he ended up choking on his own air.

"N-N-N-Nothing!" He yelled, waving his arms in front of his face, "I was just, you know, doing Lamaze!" And with that he began breathing deeper breaths in succession. Nerine and Kaede, not thoroughly convinced, settled for giving him the most awkward of stares.

"Oh…kay…well, we heard from Sia that Rin might be feeling down, which is why he didn't show up for school today," Kaede whispered in a depressed tone only to immediately perk up as she held up a small box of gingerbread cookies, "So we thought we'd bring him this!"

"Looks delicious!" Watanabe exclaimed, licking his lips. His hand slowly reached out for one, but suddenly stopped, looking nervously at the both of them, "Do you um…mind if I take one?"

"Of course not!" Nerine said happily, "In fact you're welcome to join us inside, assuming that Rin doesn't mind the company." Kaede nodded in agreement, also smiling.

"Well it sure is nice of you to invite me into Rin's place," he said as he grabbed a cookie, "I wood bee moh tha happy…to…" Watanabe's voice trailed off, half of the cookie in his hand and the other half crumbling down his throat. His eyes, vacant, stared off past the two girls. "You know what," he said, swallowing the rest of the cookie whole, "I just realized I got work to do, and the boss wants me in the store in a couple hours. Really sorry to eat and run," he said apologetically, clapping his hands together and bowing. "You girls would have to invite me again to eat more of your…cookies."

Nerine smiled even though her eye twitched with anger, "I hope you're not implying anything when you say that Nabe-san…" she said, flaring her magic just enough for Watanabe to get the point. He laughed nervously.

"Of course not…" quickly and gracefully, he backed away from the girls and opened the door to his room.

At that moment Rin poked his head out of the door, his eyes half-closed with a muscle shirt sagging heavily off his neck, he looked at the girls, "Kaede-chan…Rin-chan…?"

Holding out the box to him, both of the girls smiled while Nerine replied, "We heard you weren't feeling well, so I helped Kaede with her cooking club today and we made these for you."

Rin looked at them, then at the box. He took it, reaching his hand out slowly to palm the box. The cookies, in normal shapes and pattern, looked delicious nonetheless. The girls, their normal sweet faces and gentle auras, were a sight for sore eyes. Holding back tears, he opened the door for them, "Thanks a lot. Please come on in, it's a bit of a mess right now if you don't mind."

"That's why we're here," Kaede said, bowing at him for his hospitality. Slipping her shoes off she walked into his apartment, "Sia would have come too, but she had Art Club deciding on a new president so she had to stay late."

"She was really upset," a laughing Nerine responded. Rin and Kaede were already through the door and her right shoe off her foot, when she heard a loud 'thud' coming from down the hall. Looking over she noticed Watanabe's door slightly open, but the lights not on. She waited for a moment, wanting to make sure it wasn't what she thought it was. Then she saw a hand reach up to the doorknob and slowly close it. That was more than enough proof for her, as she slipped off the left shoe and bounced into Rin's apartment, closing the door behind her.

In Watanabe's apartment, the lights had yet to turn on. A weary arm reached up from the floor, fumbling around a tabletop like a lost child. His grunts were soft, almost pathetic as he tried to lift himself off the ground. Finally his hand grasped the object he desired and he settled for sitting on the ground, with his back leaning against the wall. At the moment when the hand grabbed what it was looking for, it also grabbed a long, coiled wire, and when Watanabe yanked the syringe off the table, the cord and device came with it, hitting the floor so hard that it pressed a button and a red light flashed on.

"These cookies are delicious!" Rin's voice echoed into Watanabe's apartment. Desperate for whatever was in the syringe, Watanabe used his mouth to pry the protective casing off the needle and raised it high into the air.

"They're not nothing special," Kaede's voice chimed in, "Besides Rin-chan helped a lot!" Watanabe took a deep gasp of breath in.

"Oh it wasn't much, I'm still learning you know," Nerine voice this time. With a forceful swing, Watanabe plunged the needle deep into his arm.

Nerine, Kaede, and Rin's voice continued to talk as Watanabe squirmed against the wall of his apartment, trying not to break the many monitors and speakers that lined the four walls, some of which hung inches away from him. Across the small room, another light flashed on and kanji appeared on a monitor next to the light. Watanabe raised his arm with the needle in it, stretching as far as he could, hoping that he could reach it from so far away. It was all in vain, as his arm slumped down next to his body and he closed his eyes, exhausted. The light continued to flash for a few seconds before it stopped and a constant light filled the room. There was no pause in the light as motors in the machine began to rev up, accompanied by a clicking noise and two outside disks rotating in unison with one another. Rin's voice once again came over a different set of speakers.

"You've reached the apartment of Tsuchimi Rin. I'm sorry I'm not in at the moment but if you'll leave your name, number, and a message I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

**END**

Author's Note: Grammar and spelling check complete, although I await anyone to correct them. I don't have much to say, except sorry for the wait, there were many distractions that kept me from writing, but now most of them have been cleared out of my way. Writing has picked up where it left off, and now have two stories I'm working on, check up on my Elfen Lied fanfic in a couple days.

One more note, the action is about to really kick in the next couple chapters, and I mean seriously. Watching the _Shuffle!_ anime, I felt such a strong notion that _Shuffle!_ could also be a fantastic action anime as well. Some author created ideas will be making their way in as well, so enjoy.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: _Shuffle!_ and all characters therein are property of outside companies and I claim no ownership of them.

A NOTE TO ALL READERS: In the course of writing _Shuffle!Hope_ I am bound to make mistakes in grammar and especially in the story itself. Thereby, I implore all who read this to check my personal profile page for updates on _Shuffle!Hope_. It will give clear details on what chapters I'm updating and what in those chapters I am updating. And now without further adieu, here is chapter twelve of _Shuffle!Hope_.

**_Shuffle!Hope_**

The sound of slamming metal echoed in the halls of Verbena High School. Students looked at each other nervously, those who were coming from the entrance hallway rushed out with a look of panic. No one stopped to leer however, and no one dared try and stop Rin from kicking his locker.

"Damn! Stupid! Piece of junk! Pisses! Me off!" He yelled every time his foot impacted the door. About this time, Itsuki strolled into the school immediately taking note of the angry thudding coming from his friend's locker. As he walked behind Rin, who continued to mercilessly pound on the small metal door, Itsuki gave a passing glance at him. Turning around to his own locker, he dared to verbally approach him.

"Had a bad day at work today Rin-kun?"

Three loud bangs emanated from Rin's vicinity, before stopping briefly for Rin to respond, "Yes and no," and he continued to beat on the locker.

"Sleep in again huh?" Itsuki said with a melancholy tone. This had been the issue over the past two weeks ever since Rin's run-in with Asa.

Itsuki paused for a moment to think. It had been two weeks, and Rin was feeling much better by the next day. Maybe…nah, not even he could do that to Rin. Still he chuckled, he loved Rin but at the same time reveled in his misery, if only the break-up had gone smoother.

"So what do you plan to do? Are you going to get a new alarm clock?" Itsuki asked after Rin refused to answer his last question. Finally Rin stopped pounding on the locker, opening it with enough force to rip it off the hinges and yanking his indoor shoes from the locker.

"I've already gone through three new ones, Watanabe even gave me one and helped me pick out a second one. It was one of the good digital ones too! None of the alarms work."

"Maybe you should try to get something with batteries, power surges can mess with those electric clocks," Itsuki told him as the both of them walked towards class.

"I have…" Rin's eyes half-closed with irritation, "He says if I'm late one more time I'm fired." As he opened the door to his classroom he hoped something might improve his mood. First his eyes came upon his teacher, Anthony, who scribbled furiously into a notebook which could only mean an immense amount of work for them. Then he gazed upon Watanabe, who was carelessly sprawled across his desk like a corpse with both arms nearly touching the floor. His lazy and non-caring attitude seemed to ignite flames of fury in Rin, so that wasn't what he was hoping for. Last was Sia, who ground her teeth into the eraser of her pencil as she burned a hole into the paper she held inches from her face. Although it wasn't the smiling, energetic person he was used to, she turned out to be plenty to rekindle his spirits.

"Hey Sia-chan," he said with a smile as he took his seat behind her. All emotions of worry and doubt disappeared as she turned to him, grinning widely.

"Ohayo Rin-kun! Are you all right? You look tired," her face suddenly changed from being full of life to full of concern. She reached out to touch his forehead but he pulled away, smiling nervously.

"I'm fine Sia-chan, I just had another bad night…and morning."

Sia pouted, more upset that he blocked her hand than the fact that he was in a bad mood. The bell rang minutes later, and Itsuki found that not even he could cause Watanabe to stir.

"In your seats class," Anthony's voice boomed across the room and everyone immediately sat down. Roll call went easy enough, even when Watanabe didn't answer to his name (everyone knew he was going to get it later). Anthony wasted no time with his lecture and began to pace down the aisles, slowly winding his way to Watanabe's desk. As he weaved his way past each desk carefully, eyes of caution and excitement watched him closely.

"…an equivalent statement is the law of constant composition, which states that all samples of a given chemical compound have the same elemental composition. Basically, that means that any mass of any compound no matter how complicated or simple it is, will always contain the same amount of each element WAKE UP!"

Some argued that the slam of his notebook against Watanabe's head was louder than his voice, which was an accomplishment in it's own right. Despite the arguments, Watanabe bolted upright in his seat with eyes the size of frisbee's. Even this aroused a chuckle out of Rin, who listened with open ears the next hour of lecture Anthony had to give to them.

----------------------

Rin looked up in the sky, it was another warm, beautiful autumn day. The clouds were sparse and the sun shone brightly on the school, it was difficult to imagine that summer was gone already. He dreaded the coming weeks of winter and the bitter cold it brought with it. But more importantly, he wouldn't be able to eat lunch every day on the roof with everyone he's come to know at Verbena. Mostly everyone.

"Where's Kaede?" He asked to no one in general as he placed a piece of omelet on his tongue (the girls had decided to set up a schedule of making lunches for Rin, it was Nerine's day).

"Last I saw her she was heading to the cooking club's room," Sia took a bite out a small finger sandwich, "I think she wanted to work on a new recipe."

It was as Sia had said. Kaede was indeed buried in a mountain of spices and foodstuffs. With a lilt in her voice she hummed merrily every time she referenced back to the recipe book that lay wide open in front of her. Knowing full well the extent of her chopping abilities, she closed her eyes and sung gently to herself as she diced the daikon radish, to then mince it further and put the remains into a boiling pot. As they cooked, she turned to a bowl and began to mix in several spices, including shoyu sauce and a blend of herbs. She just finished mixing when a familiar voice spoke next to her ear.

"Looks good Kaede," Rin said happily, wrapping an apron band around his waist. His sudden and unexpected voice startled Kaede, as the aromatic bowl of dark liquid launched out of her hands…and on top of Rin's head.

She let out one more shriek of surprise and watched helplessly as the dipping sauce steadily ran down his cheeks and shirt. But Rin was in a particularly good mood. He smiled gently at her, never bothering to remove the bowl from his head. In a calm, cool voice he asked, "Did I startle you?"

Kaede nodded, her face still frozen in shock from Rin sneaking up behind her. It faded as he removed the bowl from atop of his head and set it down next to her.

"Sorry Kaede-chan, I didn't mean to scare you."

She shook her head, "Mmm…it's ok. I just wasn't expecting you, that's all."

"Now then!" Rin exclaimed loudly, rolling up his sleeves, "Just tell me what to do and I'll get right on it!"

"Eh?" Kaede's face once again gave away her shocked complexion. She brought up a hand and passively waved him off, "Come on Rin-kun…don't kid with me, I'm fine."

"Of course you're fine. You're better than fine Kaede, you're one of the best cooks I know," this, of course, instituted a deep blush from her, "But I've been slacking in my cooking, and I figure the best way to get back on track is to dive head first into it."

If the room was dark at all it must have been artificial. Her beautiful face and smile lit up the room at the thought of having Rin help her with the cooking. In the past she would have protested incessantly and felt horrible for not being of any use to him, but now, with her "distasteful" personalities calmed down and actually able to enjoy Rin's company in its entirety, there was nothing that she wanted more.

From the doorway, five pairs of eyes watched them. One of them, Itsuki's, was obviously annoyed. Primula and Nerine, although they both showed signs of jealously, were happy nonetheless. Mayumi thought it a perfect opportunity to dig some dirt on him.

**Verbena Playboy Rin Makes First Move!**

**Caught Alone With Verbena Princess Kaede Fuyou!**

"_I swear we thought no one knew about us…"_

Only Sia's eyes were exaggerated with tears and rank with jealously. It took Nerine's magic to move her, anyone who didn't know her thought she was a kindred spirit who haunted Nerine as she floated gently next to her, moaning "Rin-kun…" over and over again. Some thought they heard her say "I can cook too…". Nerine didn't appear too happy about having to levitate Sia out of the clubroom.

Minutes passed and, although Rin was nowhere near the cook Kaede was, proved to be decent enough to handle the small chores and tasks required in any meal preparation. As the lunch hour passed, Kaede gently nudged Rin. Just enough to get his attention.

"Yes Kaede?" He asked.

There was that pounding sensation in her chest and tightening feeling in her throat. The words were on the back of her tongue and she wanted nothing more to say it…to ask the question that no one else had dared to ask since the beginning of the summer.

"Rin-kun…will you, um…I was wondering…" she couldn't stand to face him, she would catch on fire if she had to look him in the eyes to say what she wanted to, "If…we…could…"

"TSUCHIMI RIN!" An excruciatingly loud and deep voice echoed in the small clubroom. So loud in fact that it caused both Kaede and Rin to shriek loudly as the bowl of dipping sauce that Rin held landed firmly atop her head. This instituted a gasp and another booming remark, "How DARE you disgrace the perfect figure that is Kaede?!"

"_Oh God…"_ Rin thought. That voice, that overpowering presence, that tone that implied Kaede belonged to the school as a WHOLE. Not to herself and certainly not to Rin, although he never claimed her as his property. Slowly he turned around, expecting the worst. Expecting a horde, no, an army even of large, middle-aged teenagers with large bats, golf clubs, anything that was part of a school sponsored club that would be used to wail on him if he got within arms length of them. And there they were, as old-young as ever.

"Why couldn't it have been Watanabe…?" he wearily asked. Kaede's big, blue eyes nervously peeked past the ceramic bowl placed (adorably) on top of her head. She could tell this particular display of "moeism" caused half of the army to quiver in their large cleats.

"We, the proud members of the Kito-Kito-Kaede club, formerly DEMAND your retire relationship with Kaede Fuyou or else!"

"Or else what?" Rin asked, knowing full well what the answer would be. It was a compact classroom with little room for escape, but he'd be damned if he wouldn't test the theory of gravity by launching himself out the window.

The leader of the KKK (the one who looked the most middle-aged and strongest) chuckled to himself, "Under normal circumstances, we would be forced to physically extract your cooperation from you. However, we realized that in recent events, we want to keep our good appearance for the beautiful," he made a noble and flattering (it failed) gesture to Kaede, "Kaede Fuyou. So instead, we offer you a challenge!"

"How can you say her last name so casually?" Rin asked with a large sweatdrop. His words went unnoticed.

"Of course, anyone who is half a man would accept a challenge, especially if it's for the heart of someone like," again, another noble and flattering (failed) gesture at Kaede, "the perfect Kaede Fuyou. So we, the KKK club, challenge YOU, TSUCHIMI RIN! To a game of baseball for the fair maidens heart!"

Kaede felt a mix of emotions, one of them foremost being anger, something she was not unfamiliar with. Rin too was a little miffed at the gall these people had. Who the hell would accept such a ridiculous challenge?

He got his answer in the form of a lot of fog, and overly dramatic music that emanated from the hallway. A Spanish guitar? Oh no…

"You who call yourself a perfect gentleman come into Miss Kaede's presence and demand of the man she loves to give up all time they have spent together? Despicable," there was a loud strum of the guitar strings which immediately became softer. At once, two shadowy figures appeared in the doorway, which continued to billow fog.

"And you barge in here and issue up a challenge that Rin-kun has little hope of winning at and expect him to accept?" Even though Rin agreed wholeheartedly with Itsuki (it was easy to tell who it was), the entire concept of being inferior to them didn't settle well in his stomach and it pissed him off no end.

"However," Rin felt his stomach turn again, "as men it would be a disgrace for us not to accept a challenge no matter how ludicrous it may be. Therefore…"

"We, as men…" Itsuki pushed his glasses closer to his eyes.

"Boldly yet humbly…" Watanabe brushed aside the dangling strands of hair that fell in his face.

"Accept your challenge!" The both of them yelled in unison, who had somehow positioned themselves next to Rin. Rin, by the way, did not look pleased in the least.

"No. No we do not accept your…"

"Then it is settled then!" The leader of the KKK bellowed, "You will meet us on the battlefield at exactly ten ay em this Saturday."

"We shall be there," Watanabe said cockily, ignoring the glaring looks from Rin. As the baseball team filed out of the doorway, their footsteps echoing for minutes as they marched down the hallway, Rin and Kaede stared at Watanabe and Itsuki with anger and nervousness, respectively. After a minute of silence, Itsuki spoke up, slapping the bottom of his fist into his palm.

"Oh that's right, I have a dating party on Saturday."

"My boss wants me to work all day then too," Watanabe responded.

"You are not getting out of this that easily!" Rin yelled at them in a fit of maniacal rage. But Watanabe and Itsuki just grinned, each with their own unique smile.

"Not to worry Rin-kun," Watanabe said.

"Your dearest friends shall not abandon you in your hour of need," Itsuki said as he and Watanabe turned towards the door, "We will muster up for you the most powerful fighting force ever established in the history of baseball." He winked, mostly at Kaede, "We cannot lose."

-------------------------

"This is the most powerful fighting force ever established in the history of baseball?" An exasperated Rin asked as he looked down the line of "elite" players. He had feared it, but he had honestly expected better from those two. How mistaken he was. There was Sia, Nerine, Kaede, Mayumi, Watanabe, Itsuki, Primula, and a demon child no more than twelve that Rin didn't recognize.

"You got that right Rin-kun," a cocky Watanabe responded. Rin replied by getting in his face.

"Bull! You just gathered all of our friends and drug them out in this sham of a competition that you couldn't keep your noses out of!"

At this time Itsuki stepped in, gently pushing away Watanabe who's eyes now swirled in his head from being yelled at point-blank, "Relax Rin-kun, everything will work out fine."

"Oh really?" Rin asked clearly not believing him, "And how do you suppose that?"

"Let's look at it simply. Although a crude, and savage bunch they are, they would do well to honor an agreement…"

"You're not answering my question at all…" Rin interrupted.

"But there have not been any exact rules on the arrangement, correct?" He took Rin's silence as a 'no', "and really, if they were to win they would just chase you around until they caught you and beat you senseless. If we do win, they would leave you alone for at least a couple weeks. It's a win-win situation, and you still get to keep Kaede."

Rin heard a rather loud "Hmph!" from down the way. Nervously he looked at Sia, whose head was cocked away from the both of them with a look of utter annoyance; Nerine just smiled at Rin and waved. Unfortunately, he could not find the words to argue against Itsuki. If they were to win, Rin wouldn't have to worry about being chased by a group of guys (or one group) for a week, and if they didn't there was nothing they could do that they haven't already tried to keep him from spending time with Kaede or the other girls for that matter.

But things didn't look up for him, he feared being hurt by the end of the day. Both Kaede and Nerine were terrified of the ball being thrown at them (and considering that Watanabe, someone Rin found exceptionally bad at throwing, was pitching to them during practice didn't quell their fears any). Primula had a tendency to use her magic to enhance her ability, which everyone pointed out to her over and over again was illegal, otherwise she was (for lack of better words) useless on the field. Sia, although she couldn't hit the ball, was decent at catching it but she had a temper with Rin considering he was "playing for Kaede's sake" and wasn't doing up to par. The trio of Watanabe, Itsuki, and Mayumi had skills in their own rights. Mayumi was arguably the most skilled out of everyone here, having remarkable skills in both offense and defense. Watanabe and Itsuki both had their strong points and Rin felt the three of them (with what little knowledge of the game they had) along with Mayumi would be able to NOT be demolished. As for the kid…

"Kawaii!" Sia yelled as she ruffled his hair. Rin knew she was giving him extra special attention to try and make him jealous, as were the other girls. And it worked.

"Please stop touching me," the kid said apathetically, even while the older girls clambered all over him.

"It's so hard to believe your Watanabe-san's little brother," Nerine said as she stooped down next to him, poking his cheek.

"He looks nothing like Watanabe-kun," Kaede said as she played with his large ears.

"Yeah, he'll actually grow up to be attractive," Mayumi said, giving a mocking glance towards Watanabe. With a vein bursting in his forehead, he smiled and flipped her off.

All the while the girls fussed over the cute demon, Primula snuck next to Rin and slyly wrapped her arm around his. It took him a moment to digest what was happening, still feeling jealous about the attention the kid was getting, but soon he felt the warm sensation pressed to his arm, and smiled at Primula.

"Taking advantage of the momentary cease-fire Rim-chan?"

Primula smiled to herself and wrapped tighter onto his arm, even resting her head against his body. Rin laughed, patting her head much to her enjoyment. He quickly pulled away however, when the young male demon, now free from the girl's grasp, walked up to him and handed him a sheet of paper.

"What's this?" Rin asked. The young demon, still looking as apathetic as ever, paid no heed to the other young demon attached to Rin.

"This is a list of field positions that each person would be most suited for, in addition to the batting lineup I feel would benefit this…" he looked nervously around, "…this team."

Rin was shocked. For starters although he was at least six years younger than his brother, he spoke perfect Japanese while Watanabe still had trouble maintaining even the most rudimentary patterns. The other thing he noticed was that, like Rin, this young demon too saw the massive flaws in the structure of this supposed "baseball team". By the look on his face, he could tell this young man knew they were in for a long haul.

Rin also noticed that this boy was extremely hard to talk to.

"So um…do you like baseball Hattori-san?"

It was as if the child, Hattori, could tell that Rin was uncomfortable speaking to him as he turned to walk away. However, not without giving Rin a comforting, "No. I despise it."

As if having a twelve-year old on this team wasn't bad enough, having him completely apathetic to the sport didn't comfort him at all.

Moments later the team of nine stood across the team of at least twenty from the KKK club, all looking very pleased about the outcome of Rin's baseball team. They quickly went over the rules, most out of nine innings won and no magic was to be used by any team. Sia and Nerine had to calm Primula down after the captain glanced at her while he gave that particular instruction.

"Since we called you out for this match Tsuchimi Rin, we will give you the advantage and allow to bat first."

Well that was a relief; maybe they were going to be sportsman-like about this after all considering they were giving Rin the benefit of…

"It has come to my attention that if you are suggesting that Rin take an advantage (which we'll undoubtedly need) over your team then it would be in our best interest to take the field first, if my terminology is correct, so that we may have one final chance to bat in the final inning should it come down to it (and it will)."

Everyone looked at Hattori, who was nose-deep in a book that nobody recognized. Immediately Sia squealed and began to cradle him again, yelling "Cute" and "Kawaii" over and over again. As was expected Hattori didn't pay her an ounce of attention, even looking a bit annoyed at being treated such.

"_So much for the sportsmanlike conduct,"_ Rin thought as he looked at the shocked expressions on the KKK.

"Isn't he though?" Watanabe said as he reached under his arms and picked him up, "He's a like a regular little Einstein he is…"

There was something hysterical to be said about the look of complete disgust Hattori gave Watanabe, as he looked him straight in the eyes and hissed, "Put me down." They were surprised to see Watanabe immediately adhere to his demand and backed away from him, laughing nervously.

And so came the moment that most everyone had feared, getting into position. Rin knew little about baseball, just that you were supposed to swing a bat at a ball and run around the bases in a counter-clockwise circle. Oh yeah, and catching a ball before it hit the ground counted as an out. Needless to say, he had to take confidence that Watanabe's brother knew what he was talking about, even if he hated the sport. In the outfield were Primula, Hattori, and Nerine from left to right. Rin found himself at first base praying to the gods that nothing would be hit towards him. Second base was Sia, who continued to give Rin the cold shoulder despite the amount of time he spent trying to convince her that he was brought here against his will. Mayumi was the most skilled out of everyone and was so designated the position of shortstop. The little demon had expressed interest at seeing spherical objects thrown at high speeds towards his face and thus put Watanabe in the catcher position. That left Itsuki for the pitchers position and most surprisingly, Kaede at third.

"Why do you think he put Kaede at third?" Rin whispered to Sia just as Itsuki raised his leg high into the air to pitch the very first ball of the game.

He had hoped that maybe the heat of the game would melt her cold shoulder, but much to his surprise she managed a scoff and puffed out her cheeks, "How would I know? She's so good at cooking you need lessons from her why don't you ask her yourself?"

A large sweatdrop ran down the back of his head, "Sia-chan, you're not making any sense, I already told you…"

Whoosh! A white blur whizzed by his head mere inches from his face at an immense speed. It took a moment for Rin to contemplate what just happened, staring blankly into Sia's shocked face while he caught a glimpse of a runner sprinting past both him and Sia.

"Sia-chan! Rin-sama! Catch!" Nerine's voice politely called out to them just in time to see a spherical object roll near their feet. They both stared at it as if it were some alien object from another planet, or a strange animal that might attack at the slightest sign of…

"Sia-chan! He's heading home!"

Sia shrieked and quickly bent down to grab the ball. With as much strength as she could muster she threw it at Watanabe.

Of course, the ball landed several feet to his left and rolled on the ground right in front of the KKK runner. No man ever hit the ground harder that what the runner did.

His foot consequently knocked the ball up into Watanabe's chest plate, who caught it in his glove as it rolled down his chest. Looking at the ball then at the mass of human that lay unconscious at his feet, he casually walked up to him and tapped the top of his bobbing head with the ball.

"Um…you're out?"

The KKK's dugout exploded with jeers of angry yelling and shouting. Rin wasn't sure how much of it was directed at him, at the runner, or at his entire team, but it was loud, and clear. Itsuki had to come down from the mound to restrain Watanabe from barging into their dugout and start swinging. Mayumi too yelled back at them, but was able to control herself from further action. Everyone else either laughed nervously or just shook his or her heads ruefully. None more so than Watanabe's little brother.

The rest of the inning passed much quicker than Rin had expected. The KKK managed to score a run by two double hits to Nerine and Hattori and there was no chance that they could make it to the infield by themselves from the edge of the outfield. The second out of the inning came from a ground ball to Mayumi who threw to Rin (to everyone's surprise he caught it), and a foul ball popped in the air that Watanabe caught easy, before falling on his rear from leaning back too much. On the way back into the dugout Rin was able to get a hold of Hattori, the only person aside from Mayumi he felt was comfortable to talk to about the sport.

"Are you sure about this lineup?" Rin asked him as everyone started to chatter amongst themselves, mostly just giving everyone a good job or, "you'll do better at bat". Hattori glanced towards Kaede, who nervously made her way to Rin with large, tear-soaked eyes.

"Rin-kun…why do I have to go first…?"

"That what I was just asking him," he pointed to Hattori, who ignored the both of them, continuing to scan over every line of the book.

"Hattori-san…" Kaede gasped out wearily, clearly not wanting to go up there. But with a stern look, he pointed towards the field and asked her to take bat. Slowly she made her way to home plate, startling the catcher with her whimpering cries and near-sobs. The pitcher looked at her nervously, his face glowing with brightness.

One more look at Watanabe from Hattori sent the larger demon bounding up past the dugout, leaning far out and taking a deep breath.

"You don't want to hurt Kaede do you?! I've seen how those wild balls can just go anywhere!"

Everyone, including Rin and his team, stared at him with faces that teetered between shocked and disturbed. And Watanabe would not, shut, up.

"Oh yeah, broken fingers, bruised ribs, welts and bumps that can mar the body it's a terrible thing! Yeup! Don't wanna lose yourself and…"

Rin, Sia, and Nerine had tackled him to the ground and bound his mouth with tape. As much as it was scaring the pitcher from the KKK and his teammates…poor Kaede was even more frightened.

Trembling more feverishly than ever, she turned back to the pitcher, with large, puppy dog eyes of fear and sadness. The pitcher gulped, unsure of what to do. Taking a step back he wound up for the pitch and Kaede gulped, shutting her eyes tight and turning away from him.

"Ball one!" The umpire yelled. They all looked to the catcher, who could not stand such close proximity to Kaede with her sad, painful eyes, had stood up and moved away from her. The pitcher lobbed three more balls to him, which allowed Kaede to get away with a walk. Her dugout burst out into cheers as she slowly made her way to the base and smiled nervously at her friends. But the moment she saw Watanabe step out of the dugout and into the batter box, now tape-free, her eyes lost their color again.

The grin on Watanabe was unsettling, he was definitely up to something everyone was sure of. Rin bit into his fingers, it was a bad idea to let Watanabe go after Kaede. He had taunted the pitcher into walking Kaede, what else could he get him to submit to? As the pitcher wound up, everyone heard a tiny whisper come from the batter's box.

"I sure hope nothing hurts Kaede."

The ball slipped out of his hands greatly reducing the speed the pitcher was capable of. Everyone gasped as Watanabe wound up, he had made the pitcher once again unable to perform to his best abilities and now set him up for a home-

The crack of the ball was louder than what it should have been, and the ball careened off the ground in front of first base and off to the right, fouling it. Kaede froze in her spot, unable to move the slightest inch.

"Gomen, gomen Kaede-chan!" Watanabe said, obviously NOT sorry, "This bat is so darn hard to control, the ball could be hit anywhere."

Every one of Kaede's friends in the dugout made sure he would be dealt with severely once he was back in there.

The scare worked, and, probably for the first time in baseball history, was a runner allowed to walk the entire infield to home plate without a single person getting a recorded hit, just on frightened fanboys alone.

"_Good job_ Kaede," Watanabe said in broken English, watching her trembling figure sneak back into the dugout, "With you on our team we're guaranteed to–" The pitch slammed into the back of his head that sent him sprawling onto the ground. No one denied it was intentional and no one seemed to care.

The third and fifth batter, Rin and Itsuki respectfully, both struck out to insanely fast balls and Mayumi, fourth, ground out to second and in the most disturbing inning in baseball history, took the field once again.

The second inning proved to be terrible. Their batters seemed to wail on the ball, sending it everywhere except down the third base line (which Rin finally figured out after Watanabe's scare why Hattori had put her there, and now became extremely nervous about the younger demon's presence and Kaede's personal welfare). Rin thought it a stroke of luck that they only scored three runs. The next three batters, Sia, Hattori, and Primula, all struck out with gusto, Sia the only one who even attempted to swing at the ball. Needless to say, her poor mood only worsened and she slammed her butt into the bench with a loud huff.

As they moved onto the third inning, Rin could have sworn they had been out here for hours. Between the many arguments Watanabe and Mayumi started with the other team, trying to coax Kaede to take the field over and over again and reassure her that the ball would not hit her, and the overall foul mood everyone was playing under, Rin wasn't that far off from the truth. As it turned out, the third inning was worse than the second, the other team scoring five runs within minutes with only one out to Rin's team. The second out came by a stray ball that bobbled its way towards Kaede, her yelp freezing the KKK member running to third in his tracks, only to have Mayumi rush in and grab the ball to tag him out.

"Hey Itsuki, you look tired," Rin heard Mayumi asked him as she handed Itsuki the ball. He was showing signs of exhaustion, at the very least he was sweating more than usual.

"I'm fine Mayumi," he gave her a perverted smile, "Are you that worried about me?"

"NO!" She yelled defensively, slamming the ball into his chest. There was something odd about Mayumi's behavior as of late, she always seemed to have her thoughts wander, and she cared less and less about scoops. In fact, her temper had been kept constantly in check for a long time, the only instances when Itsuki–

Rin heard the crack of the bat and out of instinct ducked. This time the line drive was not aimed for him, rather, bee-lined straight for Itsuki, knocking him off his feet. The first to call his name and rush to his help was Mayumi, followed by everyone else. The ball he held in high in the air in his glove indicated he had successfully made the catch without damage to himself.

"Are you ok?" Mayumi whispered as she hoisted him up, and with the help of Rin walked the shaken Itsuki to the dugout. Until he sat down to rest he repeated "I'm fine", but upon resting he took Nerine by the hand and said he might need some loving care to properly heal his wounds. A punch to the face from Mayumi let everyone know that he was ok.

The dugout shuffled with and moved a bit slower, Hattori continuing to read his book, Kaede shrunk in the corner, fearing more than her at bat, Watanabe's, who tittered with anticipation. He really wanted to win this, and Rin wasn't sure why.

"Itai!" A high-pitched voice shook the dugout. Being the only person to notice, Rin turned to Sia who, with puffed out cheeks and tears of pain, rubbed her hand.

"What's the matter Sia-chan?" he asked, scooting closer to her. Forgetting the presence she was in, she spoke to Rin as normally as she always had.

"That one ball hit the palm of my hand and it really hurt," her eyes looked up and met his, which were concerned about her injury. She gave another harumph and turned away from him. Almost immediately her face brightened up with embarrassment as Rin took her hand and began to gently massage her palm.

"Is it feeling better now?" He asked, feeling a little relieved of her reaction. She tried to hide her embarrassed reaction while maintaining a stern demeanor to Rin, but she was doing poorly at it.

Nerine watched, beginning to feel the sharp pangs of jealousy that Sia had been feeling the past few days. She would knock this ball out of the grass…or was it park? It didn't matter, she would show Rin how capable a player she was, she had been studying everyone, including the other teams, at bat and realized they begun their swing as the pitch was wound up. Recognizing the position of the hand against the seams of the ball, she could predict the type of pitch being thrown and when to swing and when not to.

She didn't predict, however, that the pitcher would slip up mid-pitch.

The pain screeched through her calf up into her thigh and she fell like a bag of rocks. It didn't take more than a second for Rin and the others to rush to her side and she was immediately surrounded by friends trying to help her.

"I'm…I'm all right…" she wheezed out, but after gently touching the large bruise that had appeared on the side of her calf caused her to squeeze large tears through her eyes. The pain was so intense she almost didn't have the energy to become flustered when Rin picked her up and carried her into the dugout. There was a moment of protest when he tried to set her down but that too was silenced when he pressed an ice pack against her leg.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

She turned from him and blushed, shifting her legs so that she might feel a tip of his finger, "A little…"

When the commotion of Nerine's injury had settled down, Rin heard something disturbing from someone he didn't want to hear say that.

"This calls for drastic measures."

"Watanabe!" Rin yelled, bolting upright, "You're not allowed to scare Kaede anymore with threats of hitting her with the baseball, got it?!"

"Relax," he said, "It's nothing of the sort."

So why didn't he feel comfortable when he walked up to her in the on-deck circle?

"Nani nani nani?!" she asked in a heat of panic, cowering from Watanabe who waved his hand passively in front of her.

"It's okay Kaede-chan, no more scaring you I promise, okay?"

She nodded nervously, still unsure about his presence, "Then…what do you need Watanabe-san?"

He placed his hands on her shoulders, gripping onto her shirt and raising her slightly. With the most serious eyes that did not have a hint of ulterior motives, he said, "I need you to play the rest of the game naked."

"EEEYYAHHH!" She screamed as she felt the draft of the autumn wind brush against her bare stomach and up to her nearly exposed chest. The entire field was showered in a wave of bloody noses.

"Let me out Rin-kun! Pleeeeease! I promise to be good from now on please let me out! It's dark and scary in here!" A muffled yell came from a trunk that miraculously appeared from nowhere. Although the large locks were more than enough to keep him inside, Mayumi and Rin sat atop of the trunk to make sure he couldn't escape.

"I say we get some swords and start skewering it," Mayumi hissed. Rin nodded in agreement. The trunk continued to shake and emit moans of agony despite the yelling done back to it.

"Are you ok Kaede?" Rin asked her, whose face was buried into her hands completely covering it. She shook her head having no interest to talk for fear of what might come out. "Do you still want to play?" Again, she shook a "no", even going so far as to scoot closer to Rin to lean against him. Had this been anyone else he would have doubted their motives, but Kaede was in no mood to flirt with him.

"Unless we can come up three more players we'll have to forfeit the match," Hattori said as he finally put his book down, "One is hurt, one is traumatized, and the other is an idiot so…"

"Hattori-chan…" Sia said in a staggering voice, the –chan initiated a nervous reaction from him, "What…um…were you reading?"

He looked at her then at the book, holding it up to her with the picture of a baseball batter in mid-swing, "It's a book about baseball."

Large amounts of sweat began to drip down everyone's face and neck, "Like…stories about baseball?"

He shook his head as if nothing was wrong, "No, the rules."

The wind howled through their dugout and blew a grocery bag tumbleweed by the stairs.

"So…" Rin looked at him like a deer in the headlights, "You had no idea how to play this game before day?"

Before Hattori could say anything a muffled voice answered for him, "What? Didn't I tell you?"

Across the street, pedestrians became startled at the sound of a loud explosion and the sight of a small, smoldering object being hurdled like a shooting star across the dusk sky.

Half of the dugout watched with curiosity as the trunk was launched far into the city, the other half, including a very ticked off Nerine, squeezed their eyelids closed to either destroy Watanabe's mind with psychic abilities or to reduce the size of their throbbing veins in the forehead. All of this was interrupted immediately by the looming shadow that covered half of the playing field. Rin gulped and peeked out the corner of his eye to see if there was a viable exit. It would be tough, but he could make it.

"Tsuchimi Rin!" A dark, middle-aged teenager with two pieces of tissue stuffed in his nose towered over him, surrounded by other middle-aged teenagers with different facial features but all with tissue stuffed in their nose, "How DARE you resort to such cheap tactics?! To…To deflower Kaede like that is just…just…"

Digging his toes into the ground, Rin made his ready, "I don't suppose you'd listen if I said I had no part in it would you?"

They didn't, "PREPARE TO DIE!"

There was a not a thing anyone could do as Rin and the mob following him left a cloud of dust in their wake as they chased Rin through the stands and out onto the street, their yells of anger slowly becoming softer and softer. All of Rin's friends just cocked their heads and smiled nervously, sweatdrops running down their heads.

Nerine placed her hand to her face, it would be another night of searching for Rin throughout the city, and maybe to pick off any KKK stragglers that would still be looking for him. Although she didn't know how much help she could be with her hurt leg…

There was a soft tap next to her ear. Looking back she saw a small, unmarked bottle with a note attached to it. Her fingers gently squeezed the note and opened it up, the handwriting was familiar but she couldn't place it.

"This is a medicinal compound that relaxes the swollen areas of inflamed muscle tissue and stimulates the nerve compounds to increase repairs to damage caused to broken blood vessels. There will be some slight discomfort."

Blinking, she looked at the bottle on the counter next to her. The compound appeared to be a cream, and had a faint aroma of a weak alcohol. There didn't appear to be anything suspicious about it aside from its mysterious appearance, and she didn't have any enemies. Should she?

Over a hundred yards away from the dugout, on the edge of a park behind a group of trees, Anthony peeked out from the edge of it.

The baseball field was far away, difficult for someone with perfect vision to see. But for Anthony this was the perfect position.

"Sir?" He asked with a hint of surprise. Behind him the same tall, gray-haired demon that he addressed like a subordinate to his boss stood. His uncaring, apathetic eyes looked past Anthony out towards the setting sun and the baseball field where participants and viewers made the blended green and tan ground scarce of life.

"Familiar with the sport?" The question was unexpected by the expression on Anthony's face.

"No sir. I was a bookworm…an _urlrega_ if you will, you know that. If I may be rude, what's the interest in my past?"

The demon, who stood by his side, turned around so that they faced opposite directions, "Because…"

The demon didn't answer, instead, he wanted Anthony to answer for him. "Because…" Anthony placed his hand against the tree next to him, and with his fingernails dug into the bark of the tree, "Because tomorrow…everything begins…"

"You know your part, and I expect you to succeed without flaw," although his tone never changed, the implication of his words did but Anthony appeared to be used to it, "Everybody has their parts, and yours is no less important…." Anthony didn't flinch when he heard the gentle sliding of metal against metal, or when he felt the cold, hard steel of the back of a blade pressed against his throat, "…I expect nothing but perfection from you."

-----------------------

Midnight.

It had been many hours since Rin crawled into his bed after what felt like an eternity of running from a gang of Kaede-obsessed teenagers. He would awake the next morning with the thought that he had only been in bed for a few minutes before sleep engulfed him and caused him to be lost in its comfortable embrace. Next to his bed on a nightstand, two clocks ticked with each passing second while a third's neon lights illuminated a very small portion of his room. There was no way all three of these brand new clocks could fail.

His doorknob jiggled. Someone was trying to break into his apartment, and with Rin still sleep he would never know. The click of the lock was deafening to the burglar, but thankfully not loud enough to wake Rin. The burglar, dressed from head to toe in black, gently closed the door seven-eighths of the way and without making a sound snuck next to Rin. His large, heterochromial eyes studied over Rin with an unnerving interest. He was fast asleep. He shook his head and reached into his pocket to grab a small device with two prongs. The outlet that was connected to electric alarm clock had a second face and with silent efficiency he plugged the device into the second face. The electric clock blinked twice, with the slightest sound of a rogue spark that indicated the device had done its part. One down, two to go. The first battery operated alarm clock was difficult to deactivate, as the knob used to turn the alarm hand clicked violently with each turn, and stuck often. There, on the floor was a rogue pillow. Suffocating the noise the burglar managed to turn the dial to exactly where he wanted it, at quarter past seven.

Watanabe removed his mask and glanced nervously at Rin. Moist his eyes were, genuinely sorry he had to do this. This was the last clock, he could afford a little suspicion tomorrow. Gently he flicked the alarm button off but instead of setting the clock down immediately, he stood up, raising a straightened hand to his face and bowing before Rin.

"Gomen nasai…Rin-kun…it's for your own good."

No one heard a sound as Watanabe rushed out of Rin's apartment and down to his. Tomorrow, Rin would be fired.

**END**

Authors Note: If you are familiar with _Haruhi Suzumiya_ you will know instinctively where this came from. I felt kind of bad reworking a storyline from an existing show but I think I did a fairly good job to rework it in a different image.

A fun chapter no doubt but needed as it explained some things at the end there, and sets people up for what's to come. Next chapter…everything will begin.

One more thing, I hope to have chapter 14 posted by tomorrow, but…I have bad news. On Monday I leave for National Guard training for four weeks, I'll be back the second week of August and will begin working on fanfiction then. There's a chance there will be computers and an Internet connection where I'm staying, but I'm not counting on it. Anyway, expect at least 4 weeks between 14 and 15, this goes for my _Elfen Lied_ fanfic too. I've not given up on this story, I promise I will see it to the end. See you in August.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: _Shuffle!_ and all characters therein are property of outside companies and I claim no ownership of them.

A NOTE TO ALL READERS: In the course of writing _Shuffle!Hope_ I am bound to make mistakes in grammar and especially in the story itself. Thereby, I implore all who read this to check my personal profile page for updates on _Shuffle!Hope_. It will give clear details on what chapters I'm updating and what in those chapters I am updating. And now without further adieu, here is chapter fourteen of _Shuffle!Hope_.

**_Shuffle!Hope_**

"I'm sorry Rin-san, but we can't afford you to miss another day of work again…you're fired."

These words echoed in Rin's ear from the tiny office all the way back to his apartment. It was a painful thing, especially considering that it was his only means of income for the time being. If he didn't find a job soon, he'd have to leave this tiny yet comfortable apartment. So many memories…

"Don't worry…we'll get them all together…it's under way…"

"What are you doing here?" Rin asked a startled Watanabe who sat on the stairs leading down to ground level. He looked displaced among the sheets and bars of steel and iron,. "Shouldn't you be heading to school?"

Rin recalled earlier when Watanabe had poked his head out of the door and called for him when Rin rushed to his job. He just looked at Rin.

"I figured with the way you ran out something bad happened, so I thought you might like some company on the way to school, considering you're well enough to go."

Rin sighed, wondering if a switch or knob operated Watanabe's personality, and how he could get it to permanently stay off his default setting, "Let's go, we're gonna be late enough as it is." Immediately Watanabe reeled back on his hands and pushed himself upwards, landing on his feet. The same mischievous smile coursed his lips as he walked next to Rin out of the apartment complex.

"So…" his tone indicated that Watanabe had something he wanted to tell Rin. He acknowledged with a grunt, "I'm going to be moving in a couple days."

Rin felt his heart stop, was this too good to be true? "Hontoni?! I mean, what brought this about?"

Watanabe glared at him, "Don't act so depressed Rin-kun…and in answer to your question, my lease is up on the apartment."

An acceptable answer at first, Watanabe did seem like the person who liked to keep on a move, "Are you still going to go to our school?"

"Don't think you escape me that easily," he smiled when he told Rin that, causing him to sigh.

"I guess it was too much to ask of you to move across the country," he looked off into the distance, reminiscing of better times.

Watanabe puffed out his cheeks in a way that reminded him of Sia, "That's not funny."

"Relax, I'm just kidding with you," he turned to Watanabe, who was looking away from him at that moment, "I personally am…kind of glad that you're staying in our school," Watanabe grunted, "I can't say for the other girls oh that reminds me…." Grabbing Watanabe, he whipped him around to stare into his shocked face, "You are apologizing to Kaede today at school, got it?"

Watanabe gulped, "Y-Yes sir…"

For one of the few times in the several months Rin had known Watanabe, he was actually a pleasant person this morning. He didn't bring up perverted remarks about the girls, he didn't ponder about Nerine's bra size, and overall it was as if he was a regular person.

Overall, it felt like he was behaving himself for Rin's sake.

----------------

The peace ended when the sight of young women dressed in short skirts and extravagant school uniforms awakened the beast within him. Before he bound off into the throngs of giggling schoolgirls, he flashed Rin a smile as if to ask, "May I?" Rin sighed and shooed him away, slowly following the tail chaser into the school.

He was welcomed with the usual greetings from Kaede and the other girls; their beautiful faces lighting up even the darkest room. They kept the conversations light, sticking mainly to the girls consoling Rin (he didn't need it, but he wasn't complaining).

"Rin-kun, if you come over to my house after school I could help relieve you of your tensions…" a slanted-eye Sia pushed her buxom chest against his and looked seductively into his eyes.

"Sia-I mean, Kikyo!" Nerine yelled, throwing her fists down, "Stop trying to seduce Rin-sama!"

Placing her cheek against his chest and peeking at Nerine (glancing slightly at Kaede, who was pouting), she made circles into his chest with her finger, "Oh I'm sorry Rin-chan," she turned around, leaning back into Rin and wrapping a lone arm around the back of his head and neck, "You're more than welcome to try. I'm sure Rin wouldn't mind two women clamoring over him."

"Th-That's ok Kikyo…" an exasperated Rin gasped out. Her hand tickled his ear and her hips and butt…well they ground against an even more sensitive area.

At that point, Primula thought it would be fun if she too joined in the groping, wrapping her arms around his back and forcing his arm to cradle her head that poked from behind his back.

"See?" Kikyo said, rubbing Primula's cheek (that caused her to blush), "Rim-chan has the idea."

Both girls legs were wrapped around his in a very precarious position that made him unable to escape, also drawing the attention of dozens of school-goers. Now Kaede too joined the immensely red Nerine with anger (and jealously), yelling at Kikyo, "Stop corrupting Rim-chan!"

"Room for two more…" Primula whispered.

"Rim-chan!" Rin, Nerine, and Kaede yelled in embarrassment.

In an act that was completely opposite of her normal behavior, Nerine turned around and stormed off, her stomping echoed far down the hallway. Nobody knew whether she was more at Kikyo and Sia, or Rin for letting them do that to her. They automatically thought it was their own fault, and Sia, her eyes returning to their natural, round state, yelled her name in panic and ran off after her.

Before they could catch her, someone else had intercepted the furious demon princess…dropping down to a very low bow. It was one of the members from the KKK (it was easy to tell with his elderly appearance), more to the point, they recognized him as the pitcher.

"Gomen nasai!" He yelled loudly, "I have no excuse for hitting you with the pitch yesterday!"

Nerine placed her hand to her cheek, then smiled at him, "Oh…it's ok. It's not like you did it on purpose."

"Still! I should have been paying more attention to the game at hand! I…I hope you're not hurt too bad…" he looked up at her from his bowed state, blushing. She still smiled warmly at him.

"Iiyah…I received some medicine that dulled the pain and made the bruise disappear." She bent down, exposing her large cleavage to him, and pointed to her silky-white skin, no signs of any blemishes or imperfections.

The KKK member, a god, blushed deeply at her kindness (and bouncy parts), shot a dark stare at Rin and bolted off. Nerine enjoyed the kindness and waved him off just as the others walked beside her.

"It looks like Nerine has converted one of them," Rin said playfully. This caused Nerine to hiccup a squeak and blush.

"You're going to make Kaede jealous," Sia kidded her, nudging the golden-haired girl.

She just sighed, "You can take them all Rin-chan…"

Winded, Nerine replied, "N-No thank you…"

As Rin and Sia waved to the others to part ways, the school's foundation began to tremble and shake as if a monster was tearing down the city pathway.

"An-An earthquake?!" Rin yelled to Sia who grasped onto him. They looked down the hall to see Anthony, his hair once again coming to life and whipping past his face and hair as he stomped down the hallway towards the god of the KKK Rin had just seen who leaned against his locker in fright. The walls still trembled when Anthony stopped and grasped the god's locker, slamming it shut so hard that men and women scattered. Even through the thick glasses, the god could feel his demonic stare bore into his heart.

"SE-NO-SAN!" He roared at him "DO YOU KNOW THE VELOCITY A SPHERICAL OBJECT TWELVE-POINT-SEVEN CENTIMETERS IN DIAMTER OF POINT TWO-SEVEN-THREE KILOGRAMS NEEDS TO FRACTURE A HUMAN BONE?!"

"N-N-N-N-NO SIR, I MEAN SENSEI!" The god shrunk away from Anthony further, which was a feat in itself considering he was pressed tightly against the lockers. A second hand slammed into the locker next to the god, Seno, and Anthony asserted his towering figure over him.

"THEN-TELL-ME! DOES A HUMAN HAVE THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STRENGTH TO HURL OBJECTS OF SIMILAR PROPORTIONS AT WOMEN AND POTENTIALLY PUTTING THEM IN SERIOUS DANGER?!"

"S-sensei…?" It was no use talking to Anthony, everyone had known from experience that when he got heated up, there was no changing what was coming next.

"One-thousand laps around the school…you will do fifteen-hundred laps around the school grounds before it is over."

"W-Why…?"

"NOW!"

-----------------

"Eh? What's this?" Nerine asked herself as she reached into her locker. Placed delicately on top of her outdoor shoes was an envelope, the flap tucked into the pocket of the paper for Nerine to easily open it.

"What's th-" Mayumi stopped her voice, immediately recognizing the situation. Her smile widened, covering the lower half of her face, as she cupped a hand to her mouth and yelled out, "WE'VE GOT A LOVE LETTER!"

Nerine couldn't have been more embarrassed as people came from out of nowhere to peek over her shoulder and scoot in next to her. All the girls giggled and squealed, trying to snatch the letter from Nerine's hand. As for the guys, they just stood back, distraught that they had not come up with it first.

Truth was, most of them did. But they either did not have the courage, or Mayumi Thyme, local gossiper, never found out about the letter. They all knew, the ones who did bring up the courage, that they could never, in Nerine's eyes, compete with Tsuchimi Rin whom most of them adorned a personal distaste for. The hallway didn't settle down even as Nerine started yelling back to give her space. There was no escape for the blushing demon, she had to read the letter in front of dozens of people, half of which she didn't even recognize.

Her eyes peeked from the top of the envelope at the throng of curious eyes that stared at her. What was the big deal? It was as if they had never seen anything like this before, truth be told it was kind of an archaic method of communicating feelings.

She recognized the handwriting, but couldn't place it to a person. Whoever it was didn't want her to know who it was before they met her, and worrying about the person later, began to read it.

"To Nerine-san…" she whispered, continuing to peer at the group with her large, red eyes, "It has come to my attention that I wish to have a personal audience with you. Please meet me in front of the recreational sporting field at oh seventeen hundred hours. I expect to see you there."

Mouths agape, the throng of men and women stared at her nervously. Nerine too, was astounded at the…bluntness of the letter. Finally, one of them spoke up.

"Well that's not very romantic."

The noise immediately picked up once again as sprawling hand and fingers reached in to snatch the paper from her hands, many believing Nerine was pulling their leg. Including Mayumi, who was actually able to appropriate the parchment from Nerine's hands. Despite her protest, Mayumi and several other girls crowded around each other and read over the paper.

"You got to be kidding me!" Mayumi yelled, others nodding or mumbling in agreement, "Nabe-kun is more suave than this guy!"

"Damn straight!" A voice came from the back of the group, unmistakable Watanabe's. As men and women struggled to get a peek at the formal love letter, Nerine took the opportunity to slip away from them and around a corner.

"Are you all right Rin-chan?"

Nerine shrieked at the sound of Rin's voice, "Rin-sama! Where'd you come from?"

"I was walking with Watanabe when we heard Mayumi yelled. He immediately took off to see what was going on. I stayed back for a chance to talk to you."

"Oh Rin-sama…I don't know about this, it's so late. It'll be dark before I get home."

"Well…" Rin scratched his chin, "You don't have to go if you don't want to. But…" The pause in his sentence made Nerine look at him, "You're not the kind of person who would do that to anyone."

His smile only made her smile. It didn't matter who this person was, there was no way he could make her love him more than she loved Rin. But Rin was right, being a woman in love she knew the only thing worse than not having those feelings returned is to have those feelings ignored by the other person. Besides, it wasn't like she couldn't defend herself.

"Thank you Rin-sama…" her fingers brushed against his as she walked away. She stopped, bringing her hand to her face and, after much practice with Sia, looked at him with large eyes, "You're not…jealous…are you?"

Even with her hand blocking her mouth, Rin could tell she was smiling. "Of course I am," he said. If he wasn't jealous, and deep down he was, he would have said it anyway. There was no denying Nerine's rare selfish desire of attention, because they were always accompanied with a giggle and a flash of her skirt as she trotted away from him.

-----------------

Six-eleven, an hour and eleven minutes past the time when the letter had asked her to meet. Now, more than ever, Nerine felt like she was unattractive. Surely, no one's opinion mattered more to her than Rin's and all it would take was a simple compliment to bring her out of this depressed state, but having been stood up by someone who had approached her, alibi through a letter, she felt awful. She spent one more minute waiting, that particular minute feeling longest of all, and when she was satisfied that this person was not coming, she walked off feeling a little less pretty.

From the top floor of the school, Anthony watched her, twirling a pencil nervously in his hand. When she was out of sight, it snapped under the pressure he put on it.

Nerine knew it was going to get dark by the time she got home, but she never expected it to get dark as she was going home. And to Nerine, it felt like it was darker than usual. The streetlights proved to be good company on her walk home as her thoughts wandered. All in all she wasn't that terribly upset about being stood up, she spent the several hours after school with Sia and Primula. They sang karaoke and drank coffee at a nearby shop, chatting about the upcoming school festival. Rin let her know that he wanted to join her, but he had to find a job, and fast. She couldn't fault him for that.

But she could fault this good-for-nothing that made her take time out of her day only to not have him show up.

No, that was the wrong attitude to take. Maybe this person was more observant than most and realized that any attempts at wining her heart were futile. That doesn't give him the right to do that to her, or try.

Then she thought, maybe it wasn't about her at all. Maybe he…or SHE…wanted to talk to her about someone else she knew, maybe a Sia or Kaede fan. She giggled; she would love to be the moderator between her best friend and their loves…if their love wasn't the same as hers.

That was another notion that crossed her mind. Kikyo and Sia had placed this thought into her mind, and although she would openly deny it…she secretly wished that everyone could live together for the rest of their lives. She would never find friends like this again, she would never love a man like this again. Sia was open to the idea of polygamy…maybe she should be too…

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Quickly she turned around, hoping to see nothing but the lights from the street lamps. Her prayers were rewarded but at a price. There were a couple streetlights, but there was also a lot of dark. It had been a long time since she had succumbed to the childish fear of the dark, but there was something about tonight that brought out that nervous feeling inside her. She took one more look around, to calm her nerves, then hurried her pace home.

Was she going the right way home? Yeah she was, everything was familiar even in the dim light of the lamps. It was just paranoia, fear of not the dark itself, but was in the dark. She had nothing to worry about, her magic matched her father's and any attacker would be silenced before they could have a chance to do anything.

But something was wrong. Why couldn't she place it? Was it because something like this has never happened before? There was a time long ago, longer before she could remember, that the palace was attacked and she was almost kidnapped. Usurpers and former employee's of her father, people who either did not comply to her father's guidelines or violent bigots with a passion for vengeance (there really was no other way to get fired from her father's employ than causing problems for others), had assaulted the palace and almost made off with her. Nerine tried her hardest to invoke her memory of what her mother and father had told her about it. Apparently there was an ex-scientist who had a grudge against her and her mother and…

That's it! That was the feeling she was getting. This desire for harm against her, this overwhelming sensation that her life was in danger.

Bloodlust.

Quickly she turned around and spread her fingers apart. She piled up energy into the tips of her fingers and shot them out in a five-point arc, hoping one of them would hit their mark.

It did.

The attacker took two beams to his chest, at least Nerine thought it was a he. Whenever her magic hit it's mark, the target would yelp, grunt, or gasp in pain. This would-be attacker screeched an unholy sound that came from a monster out of a movie. Nerine felt her heart jump into her throat as this shadow-covered figure rolled away from her, lifeless. It was difficult to tell in the darkness, but he was smoldering. She could smell the remnants of her magic on his body. When she was satisfied that the threat was neutralized, she began to run away. Then that feeling crept up her body again.

Once again she spun around and created an arc of magic that expanded from her hand, tearing up the ground in an equally arcing circle. The attacker was gone.

A smashing sound came from behind her. How had he'd gotten by her so quickly and without her noticing? No time to think now, he had just knocked out the streetlight.

"_Wait…HOW?!"_ she yelled in her mind. Feet ran behind her and she arced out another wave of magic. The resulting explosion sent a shower of dust and brick across the alleyway, but it didn't hit the attacker. What the hell was this thing? She had never seen God, Devil, nor humans manage feats like this. Her instincts were on fire, there was something about this person that was beyond ordinary.

The resulting tackle from behind nearly winded her, and both of them bounced off the ground. Her mind flared with the thought of what he would do to her if she didn't get him off now, and with that her magic shot forth from her body in an expanding sphere. She heard the scraping of the attacker against the concrete, but there wasn't nearly enough magic put into that attack to do much damage. At this point her school bag was gone and unnecessary as she sprinted alongside the wall to the next light.It was a long ways, and the light had a large dark molding of a figure in the middle…

The attacker was in front of her! She leaned back on her heels hoping to stop, but the attacker leapt at her, gripping her shoulder blades and slamming her against the wall. Out of desperation she threw her hands out and latched onto his face that had, what she thought, snapped at her. His leg came up into her crotch and pushed upwards, hard. This was the first time anyone had touched her there with such force and it frightened her.

"NO! DON'T!" She screamed as she pushed his face away. She couldn't tell if this person was growling or being perverted. There was nothing she could do as she felt the bones in his jaw shift downward, and his overwhelming presence coming closer, and closer to her own face. Harder his knee and leg pushed against her, causing tears to squirt from her eyes. Then, the moon came out from behind the clouds.

She couldn't see his face, at least not in its entirety. But the bright moon did give her a worm's eye view of what he was trying to accomplish and succeeding. His knee wasn't in her crotch for perverted reasons…he was trying to distract her. Distract her so he could eat her.

The brim of his nose was as far as she could see upwards, and she was too terrified to look down at his body. In his gaping, drooling, enormous mouth was teeth. Razor. Sharp. Teeth. One large row of teeth protruded from his mouth further from any other, trying desperately to tear into her flesh. Behind those teeth were smaller, jagged teeth meant for ripping apart her skin were he to bite off a chunk. He let out a long-winded hiss as clouds overcast the moon again, his rank breath making Nerine sick to her stomach. Fingers grasped at her hair and tried to pull her towards him. Her fingers were slipping against his sweaty and oily skin, if she let off just the smallest amount of pressure, who knows what would happen?

"GET…A…WAY!" Nerine yelled and summoned forth a massive amount of magic from the depths of her body. She coiled the magic through her entire body and shaped it into what could be considered magical lightning. Streams of lightning coursed through his body, and into hers. The backlash of the magic caused Nerine to scream, but considering she only received a portion of her own magic, and the attacker got the full brunt of it, this was nothing.

The attacker screeched another unholy scream, and howled with pain as Nerine conjured more magic through her palms into an explosive ball. The ball contorted to the shape of the attacker's face and detonated, slamming Nerine back into the wall. She heard the scraping of concrete and as proof that he was a good distance from her, the metal cries of a garbage can and the shuffling of trash.

Rage and fear overcame Nerine as she viewed the outline of mounds of discarded cardboard and newspapers, the large plastic bags that blended with the night sky, and what she could only assume was the attacker. With what little strength she had left, she channeled her magic through her palms again and molded them into spheres. No bigger than golf balls, they had enough destructive force to level a three-story building.

One after one she hurled the balls at the attacker and garbage, each explosion empowering the last until even Nerine felt the powerful heat and strength of her magic. Finally, after what felt like hours, the only noise remained was the crackle of burning trash and the occasional crumbling brick. Far in the city, she heard the scream of police sirens. They were coming for her, they were coming for the attacker. She just knew it.

She had to move away from her, the darkness around her was becoming darker and not even in the dim light of the fires could she see the attacker. Maybe she had obliterated him. Even though her breath wanted to leave her she pushed on, at the very least she would make the next streetlight.

Freedom. Freedom from the dangers that lurked in the dark. She would wait here until someone came to pick her up or until daybreak, whichever came first. The sirens were getting louder, it would only be a matter of time. Pacing would keep her mind off of what just happened, she just had to remain calm and wait for the authorities to get here.

Klunk.

A stray soda pop can had just dropped next to her. There was no possible way.

Her body trembled as her eyes averted upwards, studying the outline of the streetlight that curved around to accommodate the light fixture that hung above her head.

There. His toes and fingers wrapped around the large bar of the light like some deranged cat or ape, the attacker looked down on her. It was at this point that she realized, although she could only see a rough outline of his body that he was smiling. The dim light of the lamp reflected his glistening teeth.

Where there was nothing Nerine found strength. It wasn't much but she would survive here. She would triumph over this twisted person. Arching her hand over her body, long tendrils of magic extended from fingers and whipped across the attacker's body. A small explosion separated the light fixture from the neck of the streetlight, showering Nerine in sparks. They stung as they washed over her body, but she had more important things to worry about.

The attacker had been flung to the side where darkness reigned, but in the dim moonlight she saw him twirl around on the ground to a racing position. The moon was in complete view now as she saw the attacker sprinting towards her. Nerine had to end this now.

Using the remains of her power she split the ground in front of her from wall to wall. Then, as if she was lifting the road itself, bent down with fingers stretched towards the core of the earth, she piled her magic into the fissure of the ground and hoisted it upwards.

The wall she created was at least twenty feet tall, and it stretched the entire length of the alleyway she was in. There were only two ways to go, he'd have to hop over the barrier leading into people's yards, or…

Nerine saw his outline crown from the top of the wall.

He'd have to run upwards.

Although she had prepared for it, she still never expected him to actually run a ninety-degree angle upwards. But now, that he was floating in mid-air, there was no way he could dodge this.

Closing the gaps in her finger, she pointed her vertical palm at him and once more summoned raw magic into her fingers. She formed it into a pointed shaft, an arrow if you will, and fired it at the attacker.

The blinding light and painful screech told Nerine her arrow had hit it mark, and that was confirmed when she saw the attacker fly through the air away from her and bounce off a stranger's roof. In the moonlight she saw the shingles and tiling of the roof launch upward on impact, and the attacker slid down the roof ever so slightly.

This was the end for Nerine. The police were almost here and even if the attacker was conscious or alive, he would never reach her in time.

When he got up, Nerine prayed that he couldn't reach her before the police did.

But he never even tried. He hunched over, knees spread apart, and watched her with terrifying curiosity. He raised his head to look briefly at the flashing lights of the police, and on his hands and feet sprinted away from Nerine, leaping off rooftops like he was a frightened cat.

To Nerine, it was finally over. The attacker was gone, that fear of the darkness was gone, the only thing that remained was her. She fell to her knees, exhausted of all magic and energy. Tears poured from her eyes as she recalled everything that had happened in those infinitely long minutes before her body was covered with the head beams of the police car.

-------------------

"I'm here to see Nerine! Where is she dammit?!" Rin yelled at the uniformed officer standing behind a counter. Behind Rin, Watanabe stood with the same impatient look that Rin had, although he remained calmer than Rin.

"Easy Rin," he said, glaring at the officer, "Everything will be all right, Demon-sama said that she was unhurt."

"I still want to see her!" Rin screamed at his friend. Minutes earlier Rin had received a phone call from Forbesii, stating that Rin had been attacked a couple hours ago and that she was being detained for questioning at this particular police station. Watanabe just happened to poke his head out of his apartment when Rin was sprinting off, the demon quickly joining Rin in the mad dash to the police station.

The officer behind the counter was irritated more than anything at Rin's impatience, but he also sympathized with him and kept a calm voice, "Sir, if you will wait a moment I will go inform the Captain about your presence, but I can't guarantee you'll get in."

Rin's anger flared again, his friend was being held for this long for what? For being attacked?

But Rin knew it wasn't this man's fault, he was just doing his job. Trying to keep the anger in the tone of his voice down, he said, "Fine. Please do that."

The officer seemed more than happy to follow his request and disappeared behind a door.

It was no more than fifteen minutes later when he emerged again, motioning for Rin and Watanabe to follow him. Nerine and Forbesii were only about twenty yards away, and obviously in the middle of a serious discussion.

"You do realize that the damages your daughter evoked to the residents and government areas will be around one million yen if not more." The captain said, a stoutly man shorter than even Nerine.

Forbesii waved him off, "Officer I am more than willing to help repair and pay both the government and private citizens for not only their damages but for the inconvenience of putting those people through this trouble. However," Forbesii's playful and gentle aura immediately became replaced by a serious, and aggravated one, " I do not appreciate you assuming my daughter is a rogue teenager and otherwise violent person."

"I would not believe it either _Sir_," he inflected his address to Forbesii, "But until I can find evidence that this…cat person with the shark-teeth was actually there, I have to assume that-"

"Rin-sama!" Nerine yelled, rushing out of her seat and slamming her face into Rin's chest. The serious air that surrounded Forbesii immediately dispersed upon seeing Rin, and he got up to greet him with open arms.

"Rin-dono!" He exclaimed, wrapping his head into his bosom, "It's so good of you to come down here, I hope I didn't inconvenience you by calling this late."

Rin shook his head, "Not at all, I was more worried that Nerine was okay."

Forbesii backed away, motioning to his daughter who buried herself deeper into Rin, "As you can see she's a little shaken up, but thankfully the only harm that came to her was a tiny cut on her forehead." He reached into his chest and gently separated Nerine from Rin, brushing aside her bangs to reveal a large bandage placed just on her hairline.

Feelings of anger returned to Rin, wondering who could, would, do such a thing to such a beautiful face. He too placed his hand on her forehead, asking "Are you sure you're ok?"

Nerine smiled, blinking back her tears, "I am now that Rin-sama is here…"

Forbesii looked pleased with himself, Watanabe too even smiled a little bit at the sight. The shuffling of a chair and the groaning of an old man snapped them out of their trance, as they stared at the police captain.

"Well…standing around here won't do us anything. So Demon-sama, please take your daughter home and make sure she gets there safely. I'll send as many officers as I can to investigate who this person was and see if we can find any DNA samples in the area." Nerine's smiled widened, thoroughly glad the captain believed her and would do something about the attack. Her young face made his old one blush, as he looked away from them, "Are you sure there's nothing else you can tell me about the man?"

Nerine shook her head, "He hid in the shadows most of the time, and he was always slumped over so I can't give you an estimate height. By…what I felt when he pressed against me, he was of an athletic build. He was very agile…I've already mentioned the teeth and…" Nerine had a flash. The attacker squatting on top of a roof staring at her, with dark, red, piercing eyes, "…And he had red eyes."

Forbesii and the captain looked at her strangely, this information was new to them. But it didn't help much, and it was getting late. The captain politely led them outside, where Nerine continued to hold onto Rin.

She began to explain everything that had happened to Rin, Forbesii, and Watanabe. From the beginning when she felt his desire to do her harm, to the end where she began to describe his very movements, "…He moved with a purpose…like he was an animal on the verge of starvation. No matter what I threw at him he always got back up and came after me. But what scared me the most was…the number and size of his incisors and canines. I felt like I was looking into the mouth of a great white. It was like he was a monster, like a…like a…"

"A beast…" Watanabe's voice trailed off, having become instantaneously more curious about this than before at the mention of her attacker's teeth. The others stared at him nervously, before Forbesii laughed.

"I know what you're getting at Nabe-kun, but I wouldn't think too much about it." He looked at Nerine and Rin, both having the same puzzled expressions that indicated they did not know what they were talking about. "Ahh…" he said in realization, "soka…well Rin-dono, I'm sure you don't know of it, but Rin-chan, are you familiar with _tregyos_?"

That invoked a reaction out of Nerine, one of surprise, "Yeah…it's our language for beast or animal…or…a mispronunciation of it."

Forbesii shook his head, "No no no, that's _tregayos_. _Tregyos_ is…are a legend." Still, the duo of Rin and Nerine had no idea what he was talking about, the only one who seemed to know was Watanabe who kept a silent demeanor, "At first hand it sounds like a wrong way to say beast, but in actuality that's where the word derives from. Hmmm…how did it go? Oh yeah, the legend states that a _beast_, or, _tregyos_, is a god or demon of powerful magics that surpass all normal standards. These _beasts_as they are called, forsaked their magics and used them to transform themselves into the very thing that the word means, beasts. They gain aspects of the animals they wished to inherit, but at the same time they too became like them. Mindless, powerful beings that are no longer demon or god, but continue to maintain an appearance similar to those around them. But it is just an old legend, one that's used to teach us a lesson about tampering with magics with what we should not."

Rin felt like lecturing him about his own tampering of magic, mainly, the Yggdrasil Project. But he was in the company of an eccentric demon, who would probably find nothing more pleasing than to hear juicy government secrets, so he kept quiet about it, "But…isn't it possible to use magic to…what was the word? Enhance certain traits of a person?"

It was Nerine's turn to answer this time, now confident in her knowledge her father just gave, "Yes and no Rin-sama…although magic can be used to increase physical strength and even agility, it requires a lot of magic channeled through portions of the body that range from very specific and small to very broad and large. And it not only requires an exuberant amount of magic to do that, it requires you to keep your concentration on that area lest you will lose that enhance trait. And in combat situation, that is very difficult."

"It's not that it's not possible Rin-dono," Forbesii spoke up, "It's just that it's inefficient. Besides, if those chompers of her attacker weren't artificial, no kind of magic that exists today can mold and form teeth like that."

"Maybe…" Nerine looked up at her father, "Maybe it really was a _tregyos_…"

This caused Forbesii to smile, patting her head, "Not to worry Rin-chan. Even if one of these legends exist, you yourself proved that you are more than a match for him. With a little more training, I'd say you can vaporize that punk next time you see him."

"How come you didn't today Nerine?" Watanabe asked. Rin noticed an odd tone in his voice, not to mention the lack of honorific title.

"Summoning magic requires concentration and willpower," Forbesii answered for his daughter, "For someone as inexperienced as Rin-chan, she was probably working at just a fraction of what she is truly capable of."

That was a scary thought to Rin. She had barely beaten this guy off, and she was only at a **fraction **of her normal power?! He knew she could level city blocks, but the realization of it made him feel queasy.

They walked away from the police station for a little while, before Forbesii wagged a finger at Rin, drawing him into an alley away from Nerine and Watanabe, the latter asking the former more questions about her attacker.

"I could tell by your face you had a question about Yggdrasil." He smiled, placing a hand under his chin, "Rest assured Rin-dono, me and Shin-chan have never funded a project that would create monstrosities like the legendary _tregyos_, and we never will. Magic is a special gift we gods and demons cherish, and seek to use it for the betterment of all our kind."

Such a comforting thought. Rin never questioned his or Eustoma's motives, but being told that directly by the King of the Demons himself made Rin realize how truly comfortable he was around Rin and how much he trusted him.

When Rin didn't answer immediately, Forbesii laughed and smacked him on the back, pushing him out towards his two friends.

The group of four didn't get much farther from the point when Forbesii withdrew Rin for a private conversation before they split up, Forbesii and his daughter heading down one path, Rin and Watanabe down another. Nerine had tried to get Rin to come with her, much to his surprise, but Rin was able to convince the team of Nerine and her father that the best thing was for everyone to get a good night's rest, and prepare for the weekend ahead of them.

"This day turned out to be worse than what I expected," Rin said gloomily as he and Watanabe walked side-by-side. He waited for Watanabe to turn out a sarcastic reply, but none came. "I'm just glad the weekend is here…no homework to finish, no projects assigned to us, I can actually sit back and relax." Watanabe's continued silence gave Rin time to think, "Then again I really have to find a job, otherwise I'll be out on the street and…well I guess I won't be on the street really…." Still, Watanabe didn't answer him, finally getting Rin's attention as he stared at his stern face, "So when are you, leaving…for…the new…."

All words escaped Rin for what he saw, for what the both of them saw. He was so busy talking to Watanabe that he never noticed the blaring sirens or the light that scorched the both of them until they were right in front of it. People screamed, yelled, cried at the spectacle that spread out before Rin and Watanabe, both stood with their mouths gaping open.

Their apartment complex was burning brighter than any fire Rin had seen before. Every single floor billowed clouds of smoke that darkened the night sky, and the bright fire that shot out of every window consumed their building to the ground.

**END**

Author's Note: There were some hastily written parts here, as I wanted to finish it before I left for training today. But I'm satisfied with the end result, I hope you are too.

I will not be able to write chapter 3 of _Elfen lied: Neue Pfade_ before I leave for North Dakota, that will however be my first fic written once I get back in August. In the meantime, there will be a 4-week hiatus (at the most) between this chapter and the next for _Shuffle!Hope_.

Chapter 15: With their apartment in ruins, Rin once again moves into the Fuyou household. But amongst the hustle of the upcoming Festival, a shrouded figure makes his way to a teacher's classroom.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: _Shuffle!_ and all characters therein are property of outside companies and I claim no ownership of them.

NOTE 1: In the course of writing _Shuffle!Hope_ I am bound to make mistakes in grammar and especially in the story itself. Thereby, I implore all who read this to check my personal profile page for updates on _Shuffle!Hope_. It will give clear details on what chapters I'm updating and what in those chapters I am updating.

NOTE 2: I will maintain on my profile page, a daily schedule of the progress of my works. If you are interested in how far I am on a particular story, by all means please visit my profile page.

**_Shuffle!Hope_**

To poor Tsuchimi Rin, it had been one hellish nightmare. To be paged with a distress call about Nerine was bad enough as it is, to come back to his place a spiraling inferno just made things worse. If there was any silver lining to be found in such bleak circumstances, if thankfully was that no one was seriously injured.

This was the last thought on Rin's mind as he stared up at the ceiling of his old room. _"Nobody was hurt…that's the important thing…"_ But even though he told himself that, he felt as if the Gods had him in their sights and they wanted him dead. He had lost his computer, his model ship, his bed, his television…and even Asa's ribbon. Rolling over, trying to get displeasing thoughts out of his head he shut his eyes in a vain attempt to sleep.

"Oi…Rin-kun…" a voice from on the floor called to him. Rin opened his eyes and rolled onto his back again, just so he wouldn't have to pretend to sleep.

"What's wrong Nabe-kun…?" He asked. On the floor was Watanabe, comfortably spread out in a small air mattress that Kaede had stored away for such emergencies. She had offered him her father's room, since he rarely ever used it, but Watanabe insisted that he'd be more comfortable in an air mattress. Why in Rin's room? Who knows? Maybe it was just because he needed to be close to someone who just experienced the same thing…

"Isn't it odd, Rin-kun…?"

Rin nodded. It sure was odd, all these bad things happening at-

"Why do men have nipples if we don't breast feed children? I mean I've heard of some guys…"

Rin cut him off fast before the vein in his forehead exploded, "Can you please be serious for a moment?"

"Gomen gomen…" Watanabe responded, Rin could hear the nervousness in his voice. Although he wanted to be mad at him, he had a hard time doing so after what just happened. It might be worth it to see just how much he understood the situation however.

"Do you always have to make everything into a joke? It's a wonder that you're even able to maintain your own apartment."

He could hear Watanabe scoff and shift in his mattress, "Well it worked on you…"

"Any idiot could have done that, and that rests my case."

"Jerk…"

Rin couldn't help but smile for one-upping him, maybe he could feel better about this whole situation with more of the same. Then again, empathy would probably make Rin feel worse so best not to push it.

"Are you going to be alright Rin?" He heard Watanabe ask him. With a quick glance Rin could see Watanabe's eyes dart away to the other side of the room.

"Yeah I guess…" Rin replied as he turned over to his side, away from Watanabe, "I just feel…overwhelmed right now."

"Makes sense."

"First was Sia and that…" Rin collected himself and thought of the best word to describe Gyouji, "jerk…then I ran into Asa…and then all in one night, Nerine is attacked by some freak and my apartment burns to the ground." There was a grunt of understanding from the floor, "And to put the icing on the cake, the sports festival is coming up soon so I have to get ready for that.'

"Oh yeah, you're in the hundred-meter aren't you?"

Rin grunted a yes, "And how about you? Weren't you in something?"

"Um…two-hundred meter relay I think." There was a long silence for the first time tonight and for a moment it looked as if both of the men were read for a much-needed night's sleep. But somebody felt like getting one more word in, "Hey Rin," Watanabe started, "if…by some chance I was a cause of that fire, but I paid everything back to you…would um…you forgive me?"

"What are you talking about? Don't tell me you…"

"No no! Of course not! Just a…hypothetical, don't worry about it never mind."

"_What an odd hypothetical,"_ Rin thought. Could it be possible that he…? No, he was with Rin at the time it happened and even though they didn't know the exact cause of the fire the eye-witness accounts say that it started on the first floor and both Rin and Watanabe lived on the third floor. But still…

What an odd question.

-------------

"So Nabe-kun, how does it feel to live in sin with two beautiful women…and of course Rin?" Itsuki asked as he slyly smiled at him. A light sparkled in his eyes, of which both Rin and Watanabe realized was from his own imagination.

"Simply magnificent," Watanabe replied as he placed a hand under his chin, "Seeing Ka-chan twenty-four hours a day in her natural environment only makes you realize how much of a princess she truly is. And that Rim-chan…she is growing into quite a woman. Why, by the end of the year her B will easily become a C, and before you know it she will be outgrowing Rin-chan in no time."

"How do you know how big her bra size is?!" Rin hissed at him, grabbing the collar of his gym shirt.

"Oh Rin, best control that raging lolicon inside of you lest you give people the wrong impressions," Itsuki slyly commented as Rin throttled the giggling Watanabe.

"And you…" Rin said with a scowl, "Don't even think of starting up on that 'lolicon' business again."

"Hey you three…" a displeased voice called from behind them. Slowly the three turned around to see their classmate, Fujiyoshi, staring at them with uneasy annoyance, "I hate to interrupt this little soiree of yours, but everyone else had already been mounted."

They looked around to their classmates, male humans, demons and gods of different sizes and figures all rode together. Three men created the horse for the knight to sit on, and one man up high to claim victory for his team. It was the annual kibasen, or knight's battle of Verbena High.

But still Itsuki scoffed, "How disappointing. And here I was hoping that we could co-ed this like we did last year."

"It's your fault you know," Rin stated very matter-of-factly. He stretched his arms backwards so Watanabe and Fujiyoshi could grab hold of them.

"What I wouldn't give to be the knight or horse to the fair maiden Kaede," Watanabe exclaimed a little too loudly, drawing some attention from nearby classmates.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up," Rin said as he shifted his weight for Itsuki to place his hands on, "She's very wary of you for some reason. It's rare for her to walk around in more than a towel after a shower."

"SHE WHAT?!" Both Itsuki and Watanabe yelled before Rin could stop himself from speaking any further. On the other side of the playing field, sitting and waiting merrily for the girl's portion of the kibasen, Kaede, Primula, Nerine, Mayumi and Sia watched Watanabe and Itsuki clamber over Rin.

"Ahchoo. Ahchoo. Ahchoo." Three delicate sneezes shot out of Kaede's mouth which brought about the attention of her friends.

"One means someone's thinking about you, two means it's something bad, but three?" Nerine asked as Kaede sniffled away the sneezes.

"Maybe it's two people thinking about you!" Sia said, excited to think of the idea, "Maybe someone thinks something good of you, and the other is thinking something bad?"

"I hope it's nothing embarrassing," Kaede said as she brought her knees up to her chest, smiling at the other girls.

"But then, what if two people thought something good of you?" Mayumi asked, "Wouldn't you get confused and think that one person is thinking something bad about you?"

Although the speculation was interesting, it was still an odd subject and Nerine portrayed this to them, "I'm sure it's nothing, probably just some last minute allergies before winter settles in."

"Sure doesn't feel like winter," Mayumi said, stretching back on her hands and leaning backwards. The group sat in silence for a moment while the boy's kibasen situated themselves on their respective class sides, until a sigh emanated from Sia's vicinity.

"What's wrong Sia-chan?" Kaede asked, genuinely worried about her.

"Nothing," she said, trying not to look very depressed, "it's just…well…" The other girls scooted a little closer to her, was she about to reveal something big to them? "I…I…I really want to ride Rin-kun!"

At once, large sweatdrops appeared on not just her friends' heads but the heads of those nearby her as well. Nerine, her eye twitching from the sheer audacity of what she just said, was the first to give a sympathetic response, "Sia-chan…I understand how you feel, but please watch how you word that next time."

Finally realizing what she said, Sia's face turned as dark as her hair, even going so far as to fling it over her face so as to hide her embarrassment. "What I mean is…" she mumbled, as her large eyes peeked from behind the strands of hair, "I really want to be on Rin's team and…and play with him. That's all."

Deep down everyone knew she was half-lying, but on that same notion they all knew they really wanted to be the knight to Rin's horse.

"Kaede got to be it last year," Sia said, feeling a little flustered, "And I would have easily gotten to be his knight this year, if SOMEBODY hadn't had snitched on Itsuki-kun." She hissed, shooting an evil glare towards Mayumi.

She was taken aback at first before blushing and making a retaliatory speech, "He-He shouldn't have been feeling up Ryouko-san like that! He was being a letch and fondling her like an animal."

"As I recall, she didn't seem to have a problem with it," Nerine said, also shooting a glance towards Mayumi. Again, the half-demon was beaten back by a girl who, at the least, really wanted to be in the same game as Rin.

"A-Are you saying it's my fault that he felt her up?!" That was the only response Mayumi could think of, and instigated a sigh from the others, who all really wanted to play with Rin.

"And I was really hoping to be his knight at least once before I graduated," Nerine said as she gazed downwards at the ground, lost in thought.

"Nerine-oneechan," Primula intervened as she kept a straight and apathetic demeanor, "That would probably be a bad idea, as you would suffocate him with your che-"

A beat red Nerine clasped her hands over Primula's mouth and forced the back of her head into said chest. The others couldn't help but laugh as Primula silently struggled against the glowing Nerine, her muffled cries of "onee-chan" and "gomen nasai" lost to the larger demon's ears.

It took the girls a minute to settle down, before the still-chuckling Mayumi turned to Kaede with a devious look in her eye, "So Ka-chan? How's it like living under the same roof with Nitsuki." Nitsuki, of course, being Mayumi's recent pet name for Watanabe, literally meaning "Itsuki Two". It was upgraded from "baka" just a few weeks ago.

Surprisingly, Kaede gently smiled and cocked her head, "Actually Mayumi-chan, he hasn't been all that bad. He flirts on occasion but nothing extreme, and he left early last night after school ended." The gentle aura quickly turned to a more fretful and distraught feeling as Kaede continued, "But he seems too helpful around the house like when he wants to help with the cooking, he's fine and all but he boils the miso about a minute too long and can be random with the way he dices vegetables and sometimes when he's stirring soup he tends to use a clockwise motion instead of a counter-clockwise which can bruise the meat and…"

"Kya!" Sia squealed as she launched herself on Kaede, hugging the spluttering girl to her chest, "Ka-chan's so cute when she thinks her position in the household is being usurped! I have to start coming over to cook for you more often!"

"Eh! Ii! Ahh! Y-You don't have to do that Sia-chan! Th-That doesn't bother me at all anymore! Really it doesn't!" An exasperated Kaede squeaked out as she pushed herself away from Sia.

"And I'm going to screw up on purpose just to see you squirm in your slippers!" Sia continued, only feeling a greater urge to send Kaede into one of her bashful fits.

"S-Sia-chan! P-P-People are watching!" Kaede once again squeaked, still not able to tear the god off of her.

"Sia-chan. Ka-chan, the event is about to start!" Nerine gleefully called to them as Sia finally pried herself off of Kaede. In one fluid motion the girls leaned onto their knees and took a deep breath.

"Good luck Rin-kun!"

"Please be safe Rin-sama!"

"Do your best Rin-kun!"

"We'll be watching Rin-onichan!"

From Rin's position he could easily hear every word the for girls said, as well as feel the dark, brooding stares that enclosed him in a very tiny area. This was going to be a short game for him and his team.

As the girls cheered on Rin and did their best to embarrass him, a frowning face watched the figure perched high above Rin. Her eyes tried desperately to hold back a strong feeling that was nestled deep in her, as he waved towards all the girls watching the match. In a very low voice, Mayumi whispered, "Don't get hurt idiot…"

"Did you say something Mayumi-chan?" Sia asked, taking a break from her cheering.

Being the stubborn girl she was, Mayumi turned away from Sia and in a stern voice said, "Bezuni!"

There wasn't enough time for Sia to push the issue as the teacher raised the starting gun high into the air, and with a muffled bang set loose the ravaging animals.

--------------

"Anthony-san?" Nadeshiko asked as she passed him in the hallway, "Shouldn't you be outside to support your class?"

The foreigner looked up at her from his book, she could tell he was giving her a queer stare even through the thick glasses, "I have papers to grade and am working on some projects for the classes. And you?"

She sighed and leaned her weight onto her right leg, "I was given hall duty, make sure none of these kids are skipping out on the activities. I just wish this place wasn't so big."

"Hmm, I see…" he said in a provocative tone, "Ano…Nadeshiko-san?"

She raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"

"That…outfit…" he said as he gazed her body. It appeared as if Nadeshiko had gotten into the spirit of the sports festival and dressed accordingly. From what looked like a gym shirt that fit her much too tightly, and a pair of shorts that most definitely was designed for a teenager, she was a spitting image of a woman clinging to her glory days. "Are you trying to…how do I put this delicately, recapture your-?"

The word outfit set her off and she didn't need his awkward study of her body to tell her that she was about to be embarrassed. When he insisted on continuing, she almost snapped, and in very jagged and sharp breaths hissed through her teeth, "If you know what's good for you, you will not finish that sentence."

Perhaps it was the subtle tone that she told it in or the artery in her forehead that tipped him off, but the man didn't push the subject, instead nodding politely and saying, "I see then. Take care Nadeshiko-san."

Nadeshiko didn't wait until he was out of earshot before she stomped her way down the opposite side of the hallway, mumbling loudly to herself, the only words coherent too rude to comment on.

When Anthony was actually out of earshot, a self-aware Nadeshiko quietly peeked down at her body and figure, her curves and buxom chest magnified by the tight clothing.

"I don't think it's that bad…" she said with a slight blush to her face, "It's not like I don't have the body for it…I look good in it, okay at the worst…"

Immediately she became conscious of her surroundings when she heard the soft footsteps of a student walking her way. Quickly she wiped her face of any embarrassing emotions and firmly stood her ground as she faced the noise.

There was a student there, dressed in his winter uniform with a complacent look on his face. Looking like he was lost, he stopped at every doorway he came to, peering into the front of each class with unnerving interest.

"Hey!" Nadeshiko yelled at the student. With break-neck speed, the boy snapped his neck to stare at her, giving her a slight startle, "What are you doing in here? You're supposed to be out at the track field for the Sports Festival."

The student didn't say a word to her, instead gazing at her with large, emotionless eyes that were visible even from a distance. It was then that Nadeshiko noted how completely…average this boy looked. Aside from the odd, archaic winter uniform, which she had never even seen around this school before, there was nothing noticeable about this boy at all. He was, too put it queerly, too average.

"Get outside now before I make you do a report on the importance of physical education and cooperation with-" she paused, looking over him again. True he was completely average, you would never recognize him in the street, but why had she never seen this student before? "Whose class are you in?"

For a moment the boy didn't speak, continuing to gaze at her with those cold eyes. Finally, in a very robotic tone he told her, "I am looking for Anthony. Where may I find him?"

"Antho…oh, you're one of his students," she surmised, "And while you are in my presence you will refer to him as 'sensei', do you got that?"

Again, the boy paused for a moment and took in what she said, then replied, "I am looking for Anthony. Where may I find him?"

It was about time for Nadeshiko's vein to burst at this point, trying her hardest to calm her twitching left eye, "If that's the way you want to play it buddy, fine. You can start by telling me where you got that uniform. We hadn't even changed to winter uniform yet and I doubt that is even ours. It looks like a relic from the fifties."

"I am looking for Anthony. Where may I find him?"

"Now listen here you!" Nadeshiko yelled and stepping directly passed a normal person's personal space, stood inches away from him, "You're really a glutton for punishment aren't you?" She said, becoming more annoyed at his apathetic attitude than anything, "I want you to come with me into my office so I can dig through all the assignments that you are going to spent the remainder of your school life completing for me." And with that she grabbed onto his arm, and for a split second, Nadeshiko saw those eyes of his widen and become filled with a dangerous intent. Even she knew this was a clear sign to let go.

"Nadeshiko-san?" A mellow voice called to her. Slowly letting go of the boy, she turned around to see Anthony, book closed, staring at the both of them.

"Anthony." The boy stated, and completely ignoring Nadeshiko, walked straight to him.

"Yajirobe, you will address me as sensei. Do you understand?"

"Yes sensei."

"Good, now follow me."

"Hold it!" Nadeshiko yelled, who was completely marveled by the scene that just happened, "Anthony-san, this boy just-!"

"I understand Nadeshiko. This one is a troublemaker. I will see to it that he is properly disciplined."

"Matte!" she yelled, "Hey!" By then it was no use, the two had disappeared around the corner and left her field of vision. Now, combating the strong urge to strangle both of their necks, she wondered which one she could get away with.

In his classroom, Anthony held the door open for the boy as he stiffly walked towards the middle of the room.

"Stop," Anthony commanded. The boy stopped halfway between Anthony's desk and the front-most student's desk.

"Turn around," the boy did so. Opening his book that he had carried through the hall, he vigorously searched for something else.

"Open…access panel…" The boy wasted no time silently unbuttoning both shirts to expose his bare chest, that is, until a whirring noise emanated from his body, and the cleavage area of his chest slid behind the area underneath his right nipple, exposing an array of flashing lights and entry plugs against a dull-metal plate.

"Good," Anthony said as he went to his desk, pulling out a electronic device with one thin cord stretching out from it. He walked up to the boy and studied the area that revealed him more than just a boy, "Is there any news from the top?"

"Yes sir," the boy's robotic voice replied, "The second unit is en route, and will be here in approximately one week."

"One week huh?" Anthony bent down at the waist, and inserted the plug from the cord into the robot's chest. Immediately the room was filled with a humming noise, as the robot's head shot upward and his eyes glowed and eerie red. "That'll be just in time, I should never underestimate him," after the quick talk to himself, he stretched the cord and device towards his desk, placing one hand next to the book he was reading and the other rapidly pressing buttons on the device.

"Data input. Demon. Nerine. Priority." The robot buzzed out as intelligible bits of information quickly passed through it's eyes, "Registering photo identification…"

Soon after that Anthony fumbled around his coat pockets, finally drawing out a miniature memory card and inserting it into a slot on the side of the device. The robot continued to spout off random information as Anthony continued to punch numbers into the device. He moved at an above average pace while his eyes darted between the device and the book. It appeared as if nothing in the world could break his concentration.

"Who's there?" he asked to apparently no one. But in the blink of an eye he threw his arm towards the door of his classroom that was cracked no more than an inch and at once the entire side of the doorway was covered in a violent array of thick shards of ice. Setting the device down, he quickly walked to the door and the forced the frozen wheels to move. The hallway outside his door too was covered in a thick sheet of glistening white and light blue, all except for a small portion of wall that appeared as if something had blocked it. Anthony scoffed.

"This is trouble," he said with a sneer.

----------------------

A shot of the gun sounded the start of the girl's two hundred-meter relay, as Mayumi shot off from the starting line and pulling far ahead of all the other girls. Rin, with Nerine, Itsuki and Primula, watched curiously as the girl's rounded the first bend.

"Nabe-kun is up next, isn't he?" Itsuki asked, more interested in the girl's running than any conversation.

"Yeah, he's supposed to be pretty fast. Well, I know I find it hard to catch him when he gets a head-start," Rin said contemptuously. All Nerine could do was laugh nervously at the implication of Rin slaughtering Watanabe. As if on cue, that same demon could be seen sprinting across the track field (the runners were on the far side) and nearly plowing into Rin and Nerine.

"Wh-What's wrong Watanabe-kun?" Nerine asked, her hands at the ready to catch him from running into her.

"Me?!" he gasped, "Nothing big! Trouble. At work," he bent down to catch his breath, "Where are? Sia and Kaede?"

"S-Sia went to see if Nadeshiko could let the two of them practice a new recipe. Why? What's wrong? Did something happen?" Rin asked.

"Did some-No! Nothing happened! Nothing big anyway, just some work stuff. Hey listen Rin," Watanabe gripped Rin's shoulders hard and moved to no longer than an inch from his face and in a deep, brooding voice told Rin, "I need you to take my place in the relay." Before Rin could reply Watanabe dashed behind him and booted his rear, sending Rin stumbling near the track.

"You got to be kidding?! Get back here you!" Rin yelled at him, "I'm exhausted and besides, you wanted to do this! You were practically begging-!"

"Thanks Rin!" Watanabe called back, ignoring him, "You're a peach!" The three of them watched nervously as he jumped the fence and took off sprinting away from the school. All the while, Rin seethed with anger at the prospect of having more physical exertion to do, not to mention the relay. A faint, "I owe you one!" only strengthened his rage.

"One he says…" Rin muttered under his breath.

Doing her best to cheer him up, and reveling in the idea of Rin performing again, Nerine gently placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "It's ok Rin-sama, I'll help you stretch."

Although it didn't seem to brighten his mood any, Rin obediently sat on his rear and stretched for the soles of his shoes, Nerine gently pushing on his backside.

"_Lucky!"_ she thought to herself, giggling out loud.

----------------------

Illuminating a small glow from the field next to the track, the embers of the bonfire slowly faded away into the darkness. Above, stars lights provided the only light the sky would offer at this hour as Sia and Kaede walked side-by-side.

"Uhhnn…" Kaede moaned, "maybe it was a bad idea to go home before the others." Although she wanted to feel sympathetic, Sia couldn't help but tease the poor girl.

"But Ka-chan!" she said, "You're the one who wanted to go home right away and fix dinner for Rin before he got home!"

"I know that…but…" she peered to the side, frightened by the surrounding darkness. Without knowing it, she slowly inched closer to Sia until she bumped her, letting out a loud yelp. Of course, Sia thought this was absolutely adorable.

"Kya!" She squealed, "Ka-chan is such a scaredy-cat!"

"I am not!" Kaede protested, even going so far as to throw her hands down.

"Look over there! It's a monster!" Sia yelled suddenly. As was expected, Kaede yelped again and dug herself into Sia, attempting to climb up her body. When she realized there really was nothing there, it made her blush all the more and Sia laugh all the harder.

"That's not funny!" Kaede yelled at her. She shook Sia back and forth, trying to convert her fear and humility into anger, which didn't work in the slightest. And Sia continued to giggle and squeal over Kaede's reaction, even going so far as to call her "precious".

"No! Stop it please!" A pained voice screamed from a nearby alleyway. Without a moment's thought both of the girl's bodies locked up in fright, as the sounds of metal clanging and soft objects being thrown into the ground became noticeably audible. "Please don't kill me! I'm sorry I won't say anything! Please don't kill me!"

"I said quiet!" A second voice demanded. Both Sia and Kaede recognized the voices as male, but the second voice was muffled by something. "You forfeited your right to talk the moment you laid eyes on us."

Soon after the second voice said that, a soft sobbing sound emerged from the alley, and the scraping of feet that signified aggravated movement. Kaede, as Sia expected, was all but frozen in fear. She gripped tightly to her shirt as the first voice begged for mercy and life, and the second one denied both. But Sia was morbidly curious, so much in fact that she slowly edged her way towards the dark alley.

"Sia-chan no," Kaede whispered, nearing the verge of tears. As Kaede feared, Sia turned around and put a finger to her mouth, making a "shhh" sound. Gripping her hand so as to keep Kaede company, she cautiously wrapped her fingers around the corner of the building and peered in.

It was dark, but a dim light from an overhead lantern made reflected shapes. There were two there, as expected. The one was huddled on the ground against a dumpster, even in the dim light Sia cold see him trembling and shivering. Pacing above him was a large man, much taller than Sia or Kaede. It didn't take much to realize who was who.

"I won't tell anyone…please I'm sorry, just let me go…"

"Lies," the tall figure hissed at him. Then, as the figured turned to face him, his back facing away from Sia and Kaede, they noticed that his face was…odd. It was rounded, yet jagged and appeared rough. If only they could get a better look at the two. "You've seen what we're doing, and the moment we let you go you'll expose everything."

"I won't I swear!"

"Quit lying!" the tall figure screamed, although it was still somehow mysteriously muffled, "Your jaded, self-righteous laws and rules would never allow that of you!" The man on the ground said nothing, continuing to tremble and whine, "Your life is already forfeit."

"No…" the man yelped out. He began to squirm against the ground as he rose to his knees, "You…You…You-You'll never get away with this!"

Taken aback, the tall man stepped away from him, "What was that?"

"I know what you're up to…fine, FINE I admit it! But you'll never get away with this…I know, I know what Project Ragnarok is REALLY about!"

"_Project Ragnarok?"_ Sia thought to herself. In the back of her mind she knew she should abide to Kaede's shallow tugging and get away from there, but she couldn't.

The man on the floor continued, "I know what it really is, what's required of it, and what YOU are planning to do to-"

"Enough," the taller man said. His soft voice startled the man, who went down to his hands again in fear. Now was the time that Sia noticed the victim's unusually long ears, which she surmised that he was a demon.

As the taller man talked, Sia dared to lean closer into the alleyway, her eyes catching a glimpse of something in the darkness.

"Sia…" Kaede whined softly into her back.

But Sia didn't hear her, there was something there, but what?

No, there was no time for that. Sia knew that what was going on was wrong, and she must inform somebody. It clicked into her head that she had a cellular phone, and the police could arrive here in a matter of minutes. Quickly she pulled it out and began to punch numbers into it.

"I won't let you do this," the man on the ground mumbled. It was a quiet sound, barely noticeable to Sia, but she heard him. Then an odd sensation came over her, much like the time Gyouji and Rin and fought. It was difficult to place at first, but then she remembered similar feelings around Primula and Nerine. It was small, but the man on the ground was about to retaliate. At least he would have, were it not for what Sia saw.

"There's someone else there," she whispered loudly enough for Kaede to hear it.

That same person widened her eyes in shock at the thought of two thugs against that one. But when she heard the heavy banging of metal, she couldn't help but let out a shriek.

"What was that?!" A third voice yelled, much different than the other two.

"I don't know. Lu-" the second voice stopped himself, "Go see what that was. Make sure no one's watching us."

"Hide!" Sia hissed at Kaede as she violently pushed her across the length of the building and into a second alley. This time, Kaede was nothing more than a pile of fits, shaking so badly that she could hardly stand up straight.

"Sia-ch-ch-chan…I'm so…so…"

"Shh shh shh…" Sia whispered into her ear, trying her best to comfort her. In the lowest tone she could utter, she apologized softly for her curiosity and that they would get out of here as soon as possible.

At the least, Sia hoped they could get out of there. The tapping of footsteps echoed in the alleyway as the third person drew near, his shadow washing over the lighted path right in front of the two girls. They both covered their mouth's with their hands, hoping that that would be enough to muffle their heavy breathing.

The man stopped short of the alleyway, and his shadow told the girls that he was looking around. It was dark, and no streetlamp shone in on their alley, nor were there any old lights hanging above their head. Truthfully, it was lucky that the two had picked such a dark place to hide.

"If there's no one out there then come back," the second voice yelled, "I want the job done here, and I'm not strong enough to carry his body back." Another moan of agony emerged from the neighboring alley, softened by the distance it had to travel, "And kill the lights too, it's becoming a bear to see in these things."

This time Kaede expected the smashing of glass and the dominance of darkness, although not quite as ready as she hoped, giving off a little hiccup of a squeak. The footsteps of the third man drew softer, as Sia once again peeked out from the alley. He was short, but also slouching so it was possible that was a factor. Silhouetted against the far streetlamp it was difficult to tell much else from him, other than his scraggily hair and bad posture.

And it was at that moment that Sia realized something terrible. In her haste of trying to contact the police and being betrayed by Kaede's fear, she had accidentally pressed the speed dial to Itsuki's pone but immediately hung up the moment

"Mune ni! Daku kimi eno kotoba! Itsuka…tsutae-taina!"

She realized this, because Itsuki had made the fatal error of calling her back.

"Run Kaede!" She screamed the moment she saw the man turn around and stare at them with large, blood red eyes. Eyes that nearly paralyzed Sia with fear, and would surely have knocked Kaede if she saw would have stared into them.

The two of them took off like a bolt, Kaede forcibly being dragged by the faster Sia, yet not as fast as they hoped. Mid-stride, they both heard the heart-stopping call of a monster, its high-pitched scream collided with a deep hiss in an experience that could only be defined as terrifying. Kaede, already panicking, could go no further as her legs collapsed to the weight of her falling body and she stumbled into Sia's backside.

"Sia-chan!" She cried out, tears running down her face as Sia bent down and grabbed underneath her arms, trying to force her up.

"Kaede please move!" Sia yelled back, "We have to get out of here!"

"I can't!" She cried out. Her legs were trembling so much, her body had been reduced to gelatin by the sheer terror in her heart. "GYAA!" She screamed as something brushed against both her and Sia, "What was that?!"

Sia looked behind her. She had felt it too, the rush of someone running past them at a dangerous speed. For a brief second a shadowy figure blanketed the nearby light from the streetlamp before a smashing sound blew out their last remaining hope of seeing light again.

Already in her arms, Sia wrapped the trembling Kaede into her bosom and squeezed the life out of her. It may not be much, but she would protect Kaede as much as she could and at the same time be comforted by her presence. Then the fast stomping of footsteps ran through her body like a electrical jolt, before she felt a strong and forceful hand grab the back of her shirt, and rip her away from Kaede who screamed in panic.

When Kaede stopped screaming, a different kind of fear ran through Sia. Dangling like a rag-doll, the only noise escaping her being shallow breaths, she tried desperately to listen to any signs of life from her friend. Until a nose pressed itself against her cheek, and a deep snorting sound alerted her to the present situation.

The man grunted in shock, quickly pulling away from Sia seconds after he had smelled her. Sia figured, she prayed that Kaede had only been scared stiff when the man did the same to her.

"Damn damn damn…" the second voice mumbled as he moved from out of the alley, "Damn damn dammit!" The loud footsteps told Sia just how close the second man was to them, and his voice became much clearer so close, although still muffled by whatever it was that was on his head. "Put them down," he said, talking to the third man. Sia's feet hit the ground hard, and by the crumbling sound next to her knew that Kaede was still unable to move, "Back away."

"Kaede…Kaede…" Sia fumbled around in the darkness next to her, finally touching the girl's soft leg. She scrambled overtop of Kaede, reaching down to her chest to feel for breathing.

"S-Sia-chan…" she said softly. It didn't sound as if Kaede was in pain, merely exhausted.

All of a sudden, a light washed over them and they noticed that the second man towered over them, his head giving off a bright white light. Sia did a quick run-through of Kaede's body, to make doubly sure she wasn't hurt.

"Shit…this is bad. This is very bad," they heard him mumble, "You two!" He bellowed, "What are you doing here?!"

"We-We were on our way home when we heard-" the man never gave Sia the opportunity to finish.

"Shit this is bad. If this gets out, everything will be ruined. All those years of…" he stopped again, "The Project! What did you hear about-?!"

"Nothing!" Sia yelled, on the verge of tears, "Only its name! I swear!" For the first time in Sia's life, she felt herself whimper and paw over Kaede, "Please…please at least let her go…don't hurt her…"

"Sia-chan…"

"Quiet!" He yelled. The tone of his voice told them immediately that he was panicking. Running into those two sounded as if it was the absolute worst thing that could have happened at that moment.

"Oi…" the third voice gently whispered, but the man threw out his hand.

"You too! Quiet!" He began to pace, "Uhn, let's see let's see let's see…" He growled , the mask on his face reducing it to a purring sound, "Dammit! There's nothing we can do now! Alright you nosy brats, listen here-!"

There it was again. That unholy screech from Hell, and mere feet behind them. At once Kaede flung herself at Sia gain, burying herself into her chest and crying all the same. There was just enough room and light past the taller man to see what the third was screaming about. The man they were attacking had stumbled out of the alley and was running in the opposite direction.

"AFTER HIM! HURRY!" The man yelled even though it was not needed, as the thing behind the girls leapt over them and scurried after the victim. There was nothing the taller man could do at this moment, as he watched his partner speed off against his prey.

"Things are going from bad to worse. Now as for YOU TWO-!"

He never got to finish out his sentence as Sia grabbed onto his arm as tightly as she could and slammed her palm into his face. She knew right away that the man was wearing a mask by the leathery texture of the cheek and hard surface of the eyes. But she couldn't take the time to observe his face now, she had a lot of magic to summon that she had very little of.

Coiling what little mana reserves she had, she began to sear his face and arm with all the fire she could summon. The man howled in pain and buckled under his knees as Sia tried to burn him as much as she could. Small pillars of smoke wafted into her nose and stung her eyes, and she even heard the cracking of glass. Would the man not have retaliated, she would have tried to burn his face off, instead being flung backwards by one massive push, nearly tripping over Kaede.

But that was all the distraction she needed. His flailing and yelling gave her ample amounts of time to grab Kaede by her hand and drag her up, only to take off running in the opposite direction.

"Don't worry about me!" She heard the tall man yell, "Go after him! He's more important!"

"_Must be talking to that other one,"_ was the one final deductive thought on Sia's mind. Hand-in-hand, they sprinted as fast as they could, lights whipping by them as they rounded the corner, and into the much-welcome sight of a man dressed in a stately uniform.

"Officer!" Sia yelled the moment she saw him. The policeman saw the girls and immediately took a step back out of instinct. Sia pointed behind her and through deep breaths told him, "Over there! Some guy! Being attacked! Please!"

The policeman nodded sternly, and pulled out a radio, giving intelligible messages to someone on the other line. With an arm around Kaede for support, Sia rested her head against her shoulder. But something was wrong with Kaede, her body was slowly beginning becoming heavier.

"Sia-chan…" Kaede faintly whispered, before she fell to the ground.

"Kaede! Kaede! KAEDE!"

----------------

**END CHAPTER**

----------------

Author's Notes: Will attempt to proofread it in the next couple days, in the meantime enjoy its raw format. Once again I apologize or the long wait, and to remind all of you that I have not, and will not, abandon my stories.

**A Question:** Have you seen the show Nagasarete Airantou? How about Ranma ½? Would you like to see the two together?

Chapter 16 of _Shuffle!Hope_: Sia comes to a revelation as Kaede rests for a couple days in the hospital. Meanwhile, Eustoma and Forbesii find something odd as they wander the streets of Verbena.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: _Shuffle!_ and all canon characters therein are property of outside companies, and I claim no ownership over them.

NOTE 1: In the course of writing _Shuffle!Hope_ I am bound to make mistakes in grammar and especially in the story itself. Thereby, I implore all who read this to check my personal profile page for updates on _Shuffle!Hope_. It will give clear details on what chapters I'm updating and what in those chapters I am updating.

NOTE 2: I will maintain on my profile page, a daily schedule of the progress of my works. If you are interested in how far I am on a particular story, by all means please visit my profile page.

**_Shuffle!Hope_**

The hospital can be a building of hope, life and joyous reunion. But as the goddess Lisianthus, Sia for short, was quickly finding out, is that it also a building that harbored doubt, fear and death.

The events that transpired after her and Kaede had ran into that terrifying scene was still fresh on her mind. Kaede collapsing in front of her was frightening enough, but to add to that was the ear-piercing scream of someone being killed far away. She remembered holding the unconscious Kaede next to her bosom tightly as even the police officer stopped in his tracks the moment he heard that sound, ten times more horrifying that that monstrous screech from the one individual. It echoed loudly across their part of the city and slowly faded away to nothingness, only the sounds of distant cars audible.

More than anything though, she remembered how helpless she felt. Holding Kaede in her arms, the only thing she could do was cradle her and caress her cheek, asking her gently to wake up. She remembered the paramedics having to pry Kaede out of her arms, and the ambulance ride that took far too long.

Several tears rolled down her cheek. Why did she force Kaede into this? What had she done to her? Was it serious? Was she terminally ill? And why could she do nothing for her when she collapsed? How cold she was…hold staggered her breath was…what was it? Sia ground her teeth together as she thought of an answer. Being poor in school was no excuse for not helping a dear friend, so why could she only hold her?

A few more droplets ran down her cheek. It took every bit of her strength to not cry out loud. But it was so hard. She had forgot to call anyone until after Kaede was rushed into the hospital, but it had been an hour since that. Was this hospital really so far away from them? She needed someone here, someone to tell her everything was going to be all right. Even if it was not, she needed that comfort.

"Rin-kun…" she whispered as her cheeks had now developed a steady stream of tears.

"Sia!" A burly voice yelled from the front of the waiting room. Immediately she raised her head to her name, and at the front door were the worried faces of her and Nerine's fathers, Nerine, Rin, Itsuki, Primula, and Mayumi. Now she was mere inches away from sobbing full out and broke off into a sprint towards them. Her father too rushed out to embrace her with arms wide open.

"RIN-KUN!" She yelled as she flew past her father and into Rin's unexpected arms. Even with the tense situation, Eustoma found the time to cry his own tears of sadness.

"There there Shin-chan," Forbesii said as he respectfully patted him on the shoulder, "You must be strong."

The grown God sniffled, "My Sia…"

Several feet behind them, Sia quietly cried into Rin's arms and blubbered incoherently about the events that transpired an hour earlier. Although he was worried about Kaede too, he knew he could not do anything to help her standing out here and gently pushed Sia away and looked her in the eyes.

"Sia-chan, what happened?"

She snorted back her tears and stared back at Rin, "I-I don't know. Ka-chan and me were going home, and…and…" Her eyes began to shut the moment she felt more tears well in her eyes. Rin did not push the issue any further when she buried her head into his chest again and continued crying. Her friends, glad she was not hurt, looked at her sorrowfully while she found comfort in Rin. Nerine even walked behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder and head, hoping to comfort her even a little bit. She felt relieved when Sia's own hand slipped upward through the gap between her and Rin and softly grabbed onto her hand.

As if it was fated for them, a doctor, a young woman in her late twenties, walked up to them with an assuring smile on her face, "Lisianthus-san?"

Sia brought her head from Rin's embrace and stared at the young doctor, "H-Hai sensei?"

The doctor's smile widened as her head cocked to one side, "Your friend is all right." One collective sigh of relief quickly filled the empty waiting room with noise, the sounds of chatter and quiet cries of joy accompanying their release of stress. "As it turned out," she continued, "it was nothing more than a combination of exhaustion and stress, all of which is quite common after the experience you described to me. She has a slight fever, but that should not be any cause of worry. She can stay here if you feel this is best for her, but with yours and her consent she can go home tonight."

Cheeks moist from salty tears, her eyes red from crying, Sia smiled beautifully at the doctor and said, "Arigato…arigato gozaimasu…"

The doctor bowed and motioned for them to follow her.

"Ka-chan!" a grateful Sia yelled at the first sight of Kaede. The resulting hug was so quick it nearly knocked Kaede down to the ground, thankful she was expecting it.

"S-Sia-chan!" She yelled back, embarrassed, "I'm not dressed yet! Sia-chan!"

Sia's thrashing and giggling quickly settled down when she realized that Kaede was truly all right. For the second time that night, she felt her eyes begin to ache of tears and she pressed her face into Kaede's back. In response to the moistness on her back, Kaede too began to shed her own tears of joy. She tangled her arms around Sia's and for that moment, it did not bother her that she was practically nude in their presence.

"Yokata…" Sia whispered, "Yokata…"

--

The receptionist at the hospital was quick to rush the group through their doors, and the moment they were outside, Kaede and Sia quickly recounted the events that happened just a couple hours earlier.

"You! Are! A! Moron!" Mayumi screamed as she grabbed the hair on the back of Itsuki's head and pulled, shortly after Kaede and Sia told how Itsuki had erroneously responded to Sia's accidental call. Itsuki, miraculously, kept his footing as he was dragged backwards.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He yelled, "I didn't know! I thought Sia-chan wanted to go on a date!"

"Oh Itsuki-san…" Nerine sighed, smiling nervously. Meanwhile, Sia tried her best to calm Mayumi down, with desperate "It's not his fault!" and "It was my fault!"

Out of nowhere, Forbesii gently put a hand on Mayumi's and removed it from Itsuki. He looked at her with a smile, which surprised Mayumi, "The important thing, Mayumi-chan, is that neither of them were hurt." His handsome smile made Mayumi blush, not used to such a kind display of emotion from him.

"Father…" Nerine said, also taken back from his behavior. When Mayumi was a safe distance from Itsuki, Eustoma joined Forbesii's side and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We've all had an exciting night," he said, "I think the best thing for us to do right now is to get a good night's rest. If you all would like, you can stay at my house tonight. There's plenty of room"

"Hontoni tou-san?!" Sia exclaimed ecstatically, acting like this night was nothing at all. Without hesitation she grabbed Rin's arm and yanked him forward, "Rin-kun! You can sleep in my room tonight!"

"Sia-chan!" Was the collective response from the other girls and Rin as they chased the two of them.

"I get to sleep with Rin-chan then!" Itsuki proclaimed. The following hollow banging was from his head colliding with a trashcan Mayumi found.

With an exhausting sigh, Kaede placed her hand on Primula's head, "If it's alright with you I'll sleep with you tonight."

"Would your father approve?" She responded with little emotion. Kaede swayed slightly with exhaustion, but Primula continued, "I don't mind but I was just wondering-"

Her mouth was quickly covered by Kaede's hand, who looked straight into her eyes with slight annoyance, "I'm not sure what bothers me more, what you say or how you say it without smiling at all, but you are not to spend any more time with Sia."

Pouting slightly, Sia looked back at Kaede, "Are you calling me a bad influence Ka-chan?"

Kaede cocked her head and smiled nervously, "Well…no one other than Itsuki and Watanabe act like that, and she doesn't spend much time with Itsuki-san and doesn't really like Watanabe-san…"

"Hey!" Itsuki fired back, causing Mayumi to guffaw loudly.

As they watched their children laugh and argue with each other, both Eustoma and Forbesii chuckled slightly. Although they did not look at each other, they began to converse with the other.

"Look at them Shin-chan. It's as if nothing bad had happened to them at all." Forbesii said as he placed a hand to his chin.

"If you think about it Mah-bo, nothing other than a slight scare happened, they shouldn't have anything to worry about."

"Oh?" Forbesii replied curiously, "Then inviting them all to spend the night was merely an act of kindness?"

"I'm shocked Mah-bo. Rin and his friends are always welcome at my house."

Forbesii nodded, "Mine too. Mine too."

Eustoma's smiled slowly faded, "The knowledge that my daughter and her friend were witness' to a murder in progress has very little to do with it. It would be best if they were among friends."

Forbesii's smile faded as well, "And by Sia-chan's description of the screeching thug it would appear as if our agile friend has reappeared."

There was no hint of any sarcasm or jest in Eustoma's voice anymore, who stared ahead of them with hardened determination, "Do you think they saw their faces?"

"Undoubtedly," Forbesii replied, "If the one with the mask didn't have any night-vision he surely saw their faces when he flashed that light on them."

"What makes you think he had night-vision?"

"A hunch." He held his hand out in front of them and with each item he listed he extended a finger, "We have our mysterious attacker, who is not normal by any stretch of the imagination. His accomplish, or perhaps his senior, who wore, from Sia-chan's description, a mask of some sort with extended eye-pieces and then…"

It took Eustoma a second to process Forbesii's thought process, until he too understood the final thing piece, "Project Ragnarok…"

"If," Forbesii said with a deep inflection, "If my suspicions are correct, that is something we should not take lightly." Eustoma nodded and Forbesii continued, "We'll wait a couple days and monitor Sia and the others. If nothing too out of the ordinary happens, I'll do some search here to see if I can pull anything up, and, if you don't mind…"

A smile finally returned to Eustoma's face, which made Forbesii smile in response, "Of course I don't mind. I suspect I won't be in our realm for very long though."

"We can have some of our associates search around while we tend to our daughter's needs…"

"Tou-san!" Sia's excited voice called, waving to them. Nerine's melodious voice repeated Sia's words and actions, to which both of their father's responded with their own wave and smile.

"Let's not tell them," Eustoma said through his large smile.

"I agree," Forbesii replied, also smiling widely.

--

"Ohayo Rin-kun!" Sia yelled the moment he walked into the classroom. His smile told that he appreciated the sentiment but was a little tired of it.

"Sia-chan," he said as he took his seat, "This is the third time you've said 'ohayo' to me this morning…"

"I know…" she said a little downtrodden, "It's just not every day I get to wake up and be so close to Rin-kun…" She hid the lower half of her face behind her chair, staring at Rin with large eyes.

Again, he smiled nervously and asked, "Did you have to wake up next to me though?"

"So that was the ruckus this morning," Itsuki butted in, a little distraught himself. Sia could not help but giggle to herself. Sneaking into Rin's room in the early morning and making herself comfortable next to him was the highlight of the entire day, and the first bell of school had not even rang yet.

"Speaking of getting nothing," Itsuki said, slightly hinting at the reason for his poor mood, "Where is Nabe-kun? He'd usually be in fits right now for missing such a sleepover."

Sia's sigh of relief was a little louder than what she had expected it to be, and Rin paid her no mind, "I tried calling him last night, but he never answered. Only because I knew if he caught wind of this without inviting him, he would bite my head off."

"Can't say I'm disappointed," Sia said with no malice. But she immediately caught herself and covered her mouth, "Gomen…" her muffled voice apologized to no one in particular, just for the bluntness of her comment. Rin, of course, laughed.

"It's okay Sia-chan!" He said, "If it makes you feel any better, I wasn't thinking any better of the situation." This caused Sia to giggle and even made Itsuki cracked a smile.

"Putting aside the defacement of our friend, where is he?" Itsuki added. They collectively looked toward his empty seat, which would normally be filled with his sleepy face at this time.

As Rin opened his mouth to blow off his absence, the door quickly opened up and their foreign teacher walked in, straight-laced and looking rather pleasant.

"We're starting attendance now. Watanabe-san and Hamada-san called in sick today in case any of you are wondering," he nodded to the vacant seats, each several rows and columns apart from each other. He briskly began to call of each of the students' names one by one.

"Lisianthus…" there was a dead silence at the mention of her name. His eyes slowly looked up from his attendance sheet towards Sia's seat. She was still there, but her distant gaze hinted that she was not completely there.

For a brief second their eyes met, and, although it could have been his imagination, Rin swore he saw Sia scoot her desk backwards.

"Are you here Sia-san?" Anthony asked casually. A good majority of the class giggled slightly, even Anthony cracked a smirk. But Sia did not laugh one bit, did not even smile. Instead, she slowly nodded her head, her face stuck in that of catatonic shock. This caught the attention of some of the others around her, and caused Anthony to set down his attendance sheet and look at Sia worriedly, "Are you all right Sia-san? You look awfully pale." Sia slowly shook her head, her eyes never leaving Anthony, "Are you sure? I can take you to the nurse's office if-"

"A-Arigato sensei!" She blurted out suddenly, "But I'm fine, I really am! Just…" her gaze moved downwards, "Just worried, about…ano…the test coming up…"

Anthony's face hardened, not quite sure he believed her. But he shrugged it off with a "As you like," and continued to read down the list. As the noise slowly picked up again, Rin leaned over Sia's shoulder and whispered to her.

"What's wrong Sia-chan? Did Anthony-sensei do something to you?"

"I-I…" she whispered back, keeping her voice really low, "I think…he was about to…"

For a student to accuse her teacher of anything heinous is a serious matter, and Rin knew for certain that Sia was not one to make something up. It took a couple seconds of focused staring at him to think of what he could have possibly done to Sia that would make her so frightened. It was only when their classmate, Wada, spoke up from the other side of the classroom that he realized what Sia was thinking.

"Sensei? What happened to your face?"

"Oh this," Anthony said, rubbing the bandaged gauze on the right side of his face, "Small explosion in the chemistry lab last night while everyone was at the athlete's fair."

"Hountou?!" Everyone asked excitedly.

"Can we blow something up?!"

"Come on sensei! What'd you do to make it explode?!"

"QUIET! TO YOUR SEATS!"

The clamber never settled down as students repeatedly threw questions at their teacher, whom up until this point had never even had a scratch from a chipped test tube. But underneath the unusually noisy classroom, two pairs of eyes stared at their teacher with certain suspicion.

--

"I'm certain it was him!" Sia exclaimed a little too loudly to her friends. Almost immediately they all raised a finger to their lips and "shushed" her down. Despite being outside on the roof, they did not any possibility of anyone overhearing their conversation.

"Kaede…" Rin said with a sigh, "Do you remember much of what happened last night?"

Solemnly, she shook her head, "N-No…It was v-very dark, and, and I was really scared…"

"Ka-chan…" Primula spoke up, tugging on her sleeve, "If you don't want to talk about it, you shouldn't have to." The others nodded and made noises of agreement.

"A-Arigato mina-san…" she said shyly, and continued to eat her lunch while still listening to the conversation.

"Rin-chan!" Sia yelled at Nerine, startling the demon, "You believe me don't you?!"

"Well Sia-chan…" she said nervously, scratching her head, "While I don't like Anthony-sensei, I don't think you should use my bias towards him for such a serious accusation."

"B-But…" stumbling over her words, Sia felt completely hopeless as her own friends looked at her with doubt and worry.

"Sia-chan…" Rin said, "It's not that we don't believe you, it's just that there has to be a lot more evidence than a burn on his face."

"Besides Sia-chan…" Itsuki butted in, "You said you…hold on…" He reached over and grabbed Sia's hand and placed it to his face. Instead he felt Mayumi's hand smack him from the other side, "OW! I'm trying to prove a point here!"

"Well then say so before you reach out and grab a woman like that!"

The look on Itsuki's face suggested he wanted to continue, but one glance at Rin made him think better. He still opted to get in the last word, "What's your problem anyway? You've been more and more violent to me lately." After several seconds of uncomfortable silence, Itsuki raised Sia's hand to his face again, "Your hand was like this? Right?" Sia nodded, "And do you remember what parts of your hand was pressed against his face?"

"Ano…" she thought about it for a moment, "My palm definitely, and the base and tips of my fingers."

"I'm not sure how your magic works, but wouldn't all those parts of your hand have burned into his skin?"

"Do you really need her hand on your face to prove this?"

Itsuki grumbled and let Sia take her hand back, "Wh-What do you mean Itsuki-san?"

With a thoughtful moan, he said, "If your magic did burn Anthony-sensei, wouldn't he have scars on the parts where your fingers were?" A tiny gasp escaped Sia's mouth, who felt, among other things, humiliated.

"Unfortunately, he's got a point," Nerine said, "I don't believe you would make something like this up…"

"I LIKED Anthony-sensei though! I wouldn't have any reasons other than last night to-!"

"Sia, that's not it," Rin cut her off, getting a little annoyed, "We all think highly of him as a teacher," he ignored Nerine's ill-timed cough, "So it'll take a lot more than a coincidental burn on his face to prove-"

A revelation came to Sia, "HIS ARM! I grabbed both his face and arm last night, and when I channel my magic it's a symmetrical force! His arm should have gotten burned as well as his face."

Silence fell over the small group. This WOULD be near damning evidence if they could prove it.

"Has…anyone seen him wear anything OTHER than long-sleeved shirts?" Kaede asked.

"Ano…" everyone muttered. Thus they found the problem, Anthony's wardrobe consisted of tweed-overcoats, long-sleeve buttoned down shirts, and lab coats. No one had really paid much attention to it, as they always thought his eyes were more of a mystery than anything else about him was.

"Well…then I'll just find a way to get him to take off his shirt, or at least roll up his sleeves!

The rest of the group looked at each other and groaned nervously, doubtful of Sia's proclamation.

--

For most of Verbena's High's famous group of seven, the preceding week passed without incident. For one sad, unlucky Goddess, it had been a nightmarish week of punishments and failures. Not including the incident at the very beginning of the week, Sia was a lone warrior on an absurd quest. Turning the heat up in the classroom did not work as well as she thought it would, as it only made the rest of the class uncomfortable when Anthony was not in the room, and he merely turned it down when he entered. She faked tripping over her own feet to spill some tea on his shirt twice, the first time missed and splattered Itsuki in the face, and the second time would have worked, had he not stepped out of the room to change afterwards. Even going so far as to fall onto his right side failed. He would merely step out of the way and snatch her by the back of the collar

By the end of the week, she had exhausted all ideas of getting her teacher to expose his right arm, and it showed all over her face at the end of the school day.

"What's wrong Sia-chan?" Rin asked as the final echoes of the bell faded away in the background.

With a heavy sigh she let her head fall into her folded arms on the next, "Nothing Rin-kun…" she said.

Rin ignored the rest of the departing class and stared at Sia. He could not help but feel disappointed himself as he looked at her large, sad eyes. Then he looked at Anthony, who quickly filed the papers in his desk and walked out of the classroom, acting very professional as always. As much as Rin sympathized with Sia and found no reason for her to make something like this up, he just did not get that "killer" feeling that Sia seemed to get from him.

Still, Rin smiled at her and gently reached out the brush the hair away that had fallen in her face. Although she did not look at him, the blush on her face indicated that she had no problem with his kindness.

"Is it a bad thing that you weren't able to see if his arm had a burn scar?" He asked her. She did not need to tell him 'no' when she buried her head further into her arms. "And you said it yourself that you do like him as a teacher, if he is a bit strict." She nodded, ever so slightly glancing at him above her forearm, "Do you really think he could have hurt someone?"

There was a long pause in Sia's answer. Her gaze was distant and far-off, but deep in thought. For a moment, Rin was not even sure she had heard him ask the question, but for the sake of argument, he let her continue to stare out the window.

"I do…" Sia told him sorrowfully, finally averting her large eyes towards his direction.

From the front of the classroom, another pair of large eyes watched the two of them, and listened with large ears. Her heart skipped into her throat, both for fearing of the two of them getting closer to each other, and from what she was about to do. She too sighed as her back rested against the wall outside their classroom. Was what she feared the thought of Sia taking Rin away? Or was it the thought of them going away without her?

There was no time to think about that, she thought, she had a more perilous task in front of her, one that Nerine did not want to do.

Anthony was, if anything, routine. From his class he would head straight to the teacher's lounge where he would spend several minutes briefly chatting with other teachers and the occasional student. After that, he would lock himself in the chemistry lab for an hour, and head home.

Which is why Nerine was surprised when she found him standing outside an empty classroom.

Nerine had figured the best time to snatch him would be after the chemistry room, a place where he always seemed happy to be, but a nagging feeling in her stomach told her if she really wanted answers, this was the time to do it.

Sia had refused this method because it was too direct and Sia, being Sia, wanted to have a little fun trying to uncover this. But Nerine wanted to help Sia, and the best way for her to do so would be to immediately find out if his arm was burned, and asking him was the quickest way to find out.

"Sensei…" she gently called out, tightening the muscles in her throat. Two things always happened when she needed to talk to him that made her frightful of him. One, he would always jump at her voice and jerk around to see her. Two, his tone always changed the moment he saw her.

On cue, her voice sent him a foot into the air and whipping around wildly to face her. But something was different this time around. He was…more jumpy than what he had ever been before.

"N-Nerine-sam-!" He blurted out, gulping, "What?! What are you doing here?! Students are not allowed on the school ground after hours! Go home!"

There was definitely something suspicious about him now, Nerine was sure of it. The school bell had rung no more than five minutes ago, and student clubs would not finish for at least an hour and a half.

"I-I just have a question sensei!" She said, raising her voice. Her irritation at his attitude to her, and no one else, was beginning to upset her.

"I don't have any time for questions! I'll answer them tomorrow!"

"We don't have school tomorrow."

"Then the next day! I don't care! But right now I can't pander to your…" His face contorted and twisted as he thought of the best way to send her away, "To your, annoying and berating questions about my health and arm!"

Something in Nerine clicked on as she watched him flail around the middle of the hallway. There was no doubt he was hiding something, but there was something else…something bigger than his arm. And her head poked from behind him.

"Anthony…" the girl behind him said in a very monotone voice. She was very tiny, no more than five-three. Her slender face and black hair were nothing remarkable, in fact, there was nothing distinguishing about the girl at all, aside from her misplaced winter uniform.

"In the classroom, now," he hissed at her as he pointed down the hallway. Very stiffly, she turned around and began walking away from Nerine with Anthony followed suit. But Nerine pressed on, and quickly trotted up to him.

"Chotto matte! No one has asked you a question about your arm, and frankly, I want to discuss the way you-!"

Nerine soon found that she had startled him a second time when she grabbed onto his sleeve. In his panic, he tried to snatch his own arm away from her, but found her grip to be much more formidable than he had imagined. Although his arm broke free of her grip, his shirt did not and with a long, steady rip, tore his right sleeve off from the elbow down.

Nerine could only imagine how big his eyes must have been when his shirt was torn apart, they must have been even bigger than Nerine's. Because underneath his sleeve, midway between his hand and his elbow, was a tightly wrapped bandaged that covered a good portion of his forearm. To Nerine, and soon to Sia, this was all the evidence they needed.

She bolted when she saw the bandage and the look of shock on his face. All she knew is that she had to tell someone, and tell him or her quick. His booming "Stop!" hardly phased her, running as fast as she could towards the intersection of the hallway. That is, until she felt that deep, sinister feeling from within her again.

Terrified to turn around, she reluctantly did so briefly to see what she instinctively feared. It was the girl. The apathetic, emotionless face was now hardened and determined on Nerine. Like a bullet she sped towards Nerine with blinding speed, and for a brief second, Nerine swore she saw her eyes glow red.

Then a voice yelled from down the hallway.

"THAT'S NOT AN ORDER! _IKKSFRONDYAL!_"

All of a sudden, the girl buckled under a mysterious force and fell completely limp. She was still, however, sprinting the moment she fell limp, and her body catapulted forward with incredible strength, flipping in mid-air. Her head skidded against the ground until her neck buckled, sending her shoulders slamming into the floor and the rest of her body bouncing inches past Nerine. When she slammed into the wall several feet behind Nerine, a loud clanging sound echoed in the hallway.

Her mind flashed images of that dreadful night from last week. The crouched, sprinting figure that, from what she could gather, actually tried to take a bite out of her. With her heart pounding in her chest, she leaned against the adjacent wall, barely able to hold herself up. Vision fading, she hardly saw Anthony running up to her in a panic.

"Daijobu?! Nerine, Daijobu?!" He yelled. This was perhaps, the only time Nerine could recall him looking so panicked…so worried for her. And for some reason, it only worried her more.

"H-Hai…" she said wearily, placing a hand to her beating heart. Her eyes wandered from the window, to Anthony, to the wall she leaned against, and back to Anthony. Although dizzy, she could see sweat dripping down his nose and that he too, was short of breath.

"You're…you're not hurt are you? It-I mean, she didn't touch you did she?"

"_She? Who was 'she'?"_ Nerine thought. Then she remembered the girl moments ago. Her mind had been so focused on the attack days ago that she nearly forgot what triggered it. But she was still very weak from the shock of what transpired, and she leaned against the wall.

She looked at Anthony, fearing her life. Even with her intellect, her mind had a difficult processing what happened. Was Anthony responsible for the events of last week? Both Sia AND herself? Why, now of all times, did he worry about her well-being, when just a minute ago he looked as if he was ready to hurt her himself? Slowly she backed away from him and felt her path along the wall.

Instinctively stepping forward and raising a trembling hand, he pulled back when he looked at her face. Words formed on the lips of mouth but no sound came out, they both just stared at each other with worry, but of different kinds. Finally realizing that talking would not improve the situation, having to force a swallow to keep himself from speaking further, he grudgingly walked past her to the limp body of the student.

"I'm…I'm taking Nishikawa-san to the infirm-to the nurse's office…" he wrapped his arms underneath her body and, with some effort, picked her up, "She's…She's anemic but pushes herself…" The lie was so pathetic that he did not even try to act like he believed it. All that was left for Nerine was for him to leave, and then she would go tell someone, notably Nadeshiko, immediately. "T…Take care going home…."

With that he turned on his foot and stepped quickly down the hallway. As his footsteps disappeared, Nerine was able to process three more pieces of knowledge she had learned in that moment. The first, for her own benefit, was that the rock-hard teacher was on the verge of tears when she last saw him. The second, one that she could not make out, was that she visibly saw the girl's head bounce off the floor, distinctly sounding like a heavy pot thrown at full strength.

And the third object, something that worried her even more than the others, was the word _ikksfrondyal_. Demonic for "deactivate", or, "shut down".

It was through sheer luck that Anthony traveled the same hallway that led to the nurse's office, and even more luck that no one saw him duck into the chemistry lab, which he frequently visited. Having no concern for the girl's body, he tossed it casually on the floor behind the desk, making the same sound as it did earlier.

Physically, mentally, and emotionally drained, he threw himself on the teacher's desk and inhaled deeply.

"Dammit…he built it too well…" he wheezed out, "And now…both of the princesses' know…no, no. I just have to pretend like nothing happened. No one else saw me, and being so close to judgement day, I can buy a couple days before he strikes." His breathing slowed, becoming more and more rested as he thought this out, "They'll definitely call the police on me, but with no evidence they cannot convict me of anything. That's my biggest…no, my biggest problem is if they actually try to move against me. How to prepare for that. How to prepare for that."

But as he pondered this, a loud ringing emanated from his pocket, startling him.

"Moshi moshi?!" He yelled into the phone. By his forehead shrinking, one could tell he was surprised who was on the other end, "LU-! Where-Wait, is this a secure line?!" A pause as he received his answer, "Wakarimashita, I'll be brief. They know. If not ninety-nine percent positive." Another pause, this one longer than the last, "Yes yes I know, it was my fault, I don't need you to remind me. Now what about you?!" He nodded obediently to the other voice, snapping quick "Uh-huh's" every so often. And then the person on the other line said something that scared Anthony.

"Tonight?! He's moving it up to tonight?! Why?!" A third, even longer pause, "No…no I guess it's no problem. It'll take some adjusting on my part, but I should have expected this. I'll see you all at the strike point." He responded to more orders with grunts and nods, "Yes…yes we'll end tonight quickly. Very quickly. They won't know what hit them. And be careful. Now that the children know, it's possible they'll find out too." Just as he was about to hang up the phone, a final voice echoed from the other end.

"I'm excited about tonight."

Anthony paused, and stared at the phone with doubt. After several moments of thought, he brought the phone back to his ear, "I know you are…you have not spilled this much blood in a long time."

And with a firm grip, pressed the End button.

--

The glowing sphere-like material that composed the Kaimon Gate was a welcome sight for Forbesii, who, with folded arms, stood smiling at the mystical energies. To some it was thought of a burden, a disgrace, even a sin. Even the King of Demons wondered at times whether its opening was a disaster or possibly an omen. But one look on his daughter's face when she was near the man, the human, she loved and he knew that this was for the best of all their races. And his smile only widened when Eustoma, looking triumphant and proud as always, trotted towards him from the sphere, sparkling tendrils of dust fading in his wake.

"Shin-chan my friend, did you find anything of use in our realm?"

The God smiled even larger as he walked up to his fellow emperor. With welcoming force he placed his hands on Forbesii's shoulders and smiled.

"Not a thing." He said with a chuckle.

Forbesii could not help but laugh himself, "Then, my friend, you have found about as much as I have."

The expedition for the both of them had taken them deep into the night on this particular day, a quest to find anything related to the extremely small list of items they had that were related to the events that had happened recently. A fruitless search, the Kings' found some odd solace in the knowledge that their search did not uncover anything.

"Certainly, if WE as nobility can't turn up anything, then it must be too insignificant for us to worry about." Eustoma said with a guffaw, moments before Forbesii closed his cellular phone.

"Rin-chan and the others are home safely, although she said she had something important to talk to me about. Oh I'm sorry Shin-chan, I did not mean to ignore you. And, if it is my place, we should not let our guard down too easily."

"Oh?"

Forbesii chuckled yet again, "It is common belief that there are groups and organizations that work hidden from the government, it isn't completely unbelievable that our informants might not be able in infiltrate something kept secret from our eye."

"I always figured you for the optimistic type Mah-bo."

He smiled, "You know I am. I have more confidence in our subordinates than you do." He winked at him, indicating that he was in agreement with Eustoma. "Although…one thing does bother me…"

"What's that Mah-bo?"

"Ragnarok…do you remember when we decided the name of our own Project Yggdrasil?"

"Hmmm…yes, yes I do. It was an ancient myth of the tree of life, from a religion long ago."

"Correct, one that protected and gave life, thus the significance. And as you know…this realm has its Yggdrasil as well."

"What was the religion called again? Ano…North, Norwest, AH, Norse!"

"Yes, exactly. Well…I didn't find much other than the belief…but Ragnarok is a war."

"A war?"

"Yes…the last war. The very last war. It was predicted by the Gods of the religion exactly what would transpire from the war, and who survived."

"And who survives?"

"Less than the fingers on my hand."

They stopped and stared at each other, a glint of doubt and worry passing between them. They quickly glanced back, and continued forward.

"But like I said, it should not be much to worry about. If it is one of those ridiculous cults this realm has then the least we have to worry about is some nut stalking us."

"And he WILL be met with extreme punishment." Eustoma said a little too gleefully.

"For now our best bet is to wait and prepare for the next move, should there be one."

"I agree."

The two continued to their house in silence, taking numerous streets and alleyways to reach their destination. In fact, it seemed to have been taking them a long time to go home.

Finally they stopped and absorbed their surroundings. It was a lit, well-secluded section of road. The nearby buildings appeared dead to the world, indeed the only noise from the surrounding area was the occasional spark of the streetlamp.

"This looks good, doesn't it Shin-chan?"

"Yes I believe so. Quiet, out of the way, no one to get hurt aside from the obvious."

Forbesii turned around and rotated his right shoulder, then his left, "It's been a long time, hasn't it Shin-chan?"

Eustoma opted for an exaggerated hamstring stretch, then pulling himself up and reaching towards the sky, "Yes I believe it has."

Out of respect, the stalkers glided down from their perch in a nearby tree, twisting and turning stealthily as they approached the two Kings. Crouched low to the ground, their eyes glowed an eerie red and intensified with each passing second.

The Kings held their hands out in front of them, summoning their magic to the tips of their fingers.

"It has been a long time since someone tried to assassinate us."

--

"Can I get you some more tea Rin-chan?" Kaede politely asked the young demon who sat at her table. She kindly declined with a wave and resumed drinking from the cup that was already in front of her.

"Isn't Rin-sama back yet?"

Kaede sighed, "Knowing Sia, she backed him into a corner and is probably trying to take his clothes off as we speak."

An awkward silence filled the entire room, with both Nerine and Kaede stopping what they were previously doing. Indeed, they both thought the same thing. This is something they knew that Sia or Kikyo were both willing to do.

"I'm going to go over there right now and see if Rin didn't hurt himself." Kaede said, fooling no one.

"Good idea," Nerine shot back, also fooling no one.

As luck would have it, the door to their house burst open and an excited goddess stampeded into Kaede's kitchen, "Rin-chan! Rin-chan! Rin-chan!" The goddess tackled her friend in a huge hug, and proceeded to bombard her with multiple kisses to her cheeks and face, "Yokata! Rin-chan believed me! AND she even caught the culprit!"

Nerine, appreciating the thought itself and not the physical affection, desperately tried to push the young goddess off of her, if just so she could breathe again.

Rin started laughing immediately upon walking into the scene of Sia hanging onto Nerine's neck and smothering someone other than him with her love for once.

Finally she broke her grip on her, "So tell me! How'd you do it?! What happened?! Did he try anything?!"

Nerine's face squished as she rubbed the wet marks Sia left on her face, "Sia-chan…please don't ever do that again…you came awfully close to stealing my second-I mean first."

"Second?!"

"Ano…moving on, I wouldn't get too excited just yet Sia. There's still a lot more that has to happen before we can be one-hundred percent positive of anything…" she looked away for a moment, then glanced back at her, "But I think he did it."

Sia's eyes shimmered as her smile increased in size and glow. But for a brief moment, she saw the doubt in Nerine's eyes, "N-Nani? What's wrong Rin-chan?"

"Well…it's just that…" Nerine looked away, not sure of how to say it.

"Sia-chan," Rin moved in, placing a hand on her shoulder, "If what you and Nerine believe is true, rather, if what we all believe is true, then we're not only sending someone to jail for a long time…we're…we're destroying the trust and respect we had placed in him for so long."

"But we didn't do that! He…" she stopped herself and gathered her thoughts. Getting emotional right now would not help her or anyone else for the matter, "Sumimasen. I was just…so excited to learn that someone else believed me. I just…when I saw his face…when I thought about how tall he was…I just knew it couldn't be anybody else! Nobody is as tall as he is!"

"Is everything all right?" A weary Primula asked as she tiptoed down the stairs, looking between the four of them.

"Hai Rim-chan," Rin said with a smile, "I hope we didn't wake you."

She shook her head, "I was already awake, Onii-chan."

He conversation continued briefly as the group moved towards the table, and Nerine started to explain how she found Anthony standing in the hallway.

"Wah?! You just asked him outright?!"

"Let me finish Sia-chan. And I don't understand why you didn't think of that."

Sia shifted her shoulders and blushed, placing her hands together and tapping her fingers, "It's so dull though. There's no excitement of the hunt if you do that…"

Everyone, including Sia, thoroughly enjoyed that with a good laugh, taking a brief moment to poke fun of Sia, who took it in graciously, even going so far as to bop herself on the head.

The door to the house immediately opened, and the four of them jumped of the sound of it.

"Are we expecting visitors Kaede?"

She shook her head frightfully, "No Rin-kun, we're not."

Slowly the footsteps echoed in on the group, who anxiously waited to see who had barged into the house.

--

A shattering crash exploded near a now burned-out streetlight, the remnants of the concrete briefly showering a small radius. One of the two shrouded figures that attacked the Kings dashed to the side, ducking and rolling underneath magic bolt and telekinetic weapons alike. Safe behind a nearby signpost, it spun around and aimed his arm at the Demon King, firing three repeated gunshots towards him.

Forbesii responded, curling his fingers into a cup and summoning a dark hole in front of him. The bullets that would have hit him were sucked into the portal and crackled out of existence, and he immediately returned to the offensive. Placing the index and middle finger of his left hand together, he whipped it at the attacked. From his fingers, a dark purple tendril snapped at the ground before him, creating a fissure that crackled with the same magic he summoned it with.

The attacker took off, leaving the signpost to absorb the attack of the Demon King's magic as he sprinted to his side, taking several more shots at Forbesii.

Not far from those two, Eustoma dealt with his own assassin, taking a more personal hand-to-hand approach. With well-trained powers, he thrust small amounts of magic into his fist with every punch, and briefly hardened his skin with every block he absorbed.

The assassin rolled away from him, only to leap forward and snap both feet at him. Eustoma pushed away, dodging the kicks but the assassin kept his ground, who quickly followed his landing with a roundhouse kick, to which Eustoma parried easily.

On the offensive, Eustoma quickly jabbed at his attacker, knowing that one hit would easily render him unconscious if he, the attacker, was lucky. But the assassin was agile and he easily misdirected his attacks, backing up and flipping over and underneath respective swings of his fist. Irritated, but not nearly tired, he concentrated his magic once again, this time a much larger amount than before. While the attacker waited for his next move, he slammed his sandaled foot into the concrete, creating an indent. The ground reacted to his magic however, and the earth shook underneath the attacker, sending him to his knees in a daze.

"Got you!" Eustoma yelled as he slid his foot towards the attacker and wound up his attack.

But he proved too slow even for this one. The figure pushed away his hand at the last minute, and lifted himself off the ground. Caught off-guard, Eustoma could do nothing but wriggle nervously as the figure wrapped himself around his neck and body, before placing his foot in the ground and delivering a swift kick to the mid-section.

Eustoma back-peddled, slightly dazed but unhurt. When his back pressed against Forbesii's, he instinctively knew who it was.

"Having fun Mah-bo?"

"You could say that," he said with little enthusiasm, sending a soccer-sized chunk of concrete at his attacker. "Look carefully Shin-chan. The eyes, the cat-like reflexes-"

"MAH-BO!" Eustoma yelled and spun to his backside. Like a professional, Forbesii threw his hands out in two directions, each at an individual assassin and immediately summoned the same small black holes as before. The voids crackled and snapped with each bullet that it absorbed, and the two attackers once again stood side by side.

"You don't think they could be-?" Forbesii had no need to finish the sentence, as he saw Eustoma look at the wall next to them.

"I'm beginning to think that. Yes." He slammed his hands together and once again called upon his powers. Upon reaching the right amount, he slammed his hand into the wall next to him, which also happened to be the same wall the attackers stood near. Electricity cracked the wall open, the attackers following it closely, until it reached the exact spot the two stood near. Both flew away from the resulting explosion that tore a deep hole in the wall and they scattered yet again.

But one was tricked. An unwatched foot stepped in an area of concrete that Forbesii had broken apart with magic, and it immediately latched onto him and held him in place. Forbesii was practically on top of him moments after that.

Now it was Forbesii's turn to slam his hand into something, this something being the attacker's forehead. There was no tumble or dodge that could escape the Demon King's wrath as he mercilessly sent dark energies swirling into his palm, shocking the assassin repeatedly with his trademarked colors. He held his hand in place for a good fifteen seconds before he finally broke off, and the body of the assassin continued to spasm and twitch furiously.

"Save some for me Mah-bo!" Eustoma yelled throwing a fist at the second far-away attacker, who dodged the magic-powered blast of air with relative ease.

But something bothered Forbesii. The attackers, their attack patterns. And this one…he reached down and grabbed the limp assassin by the collar and forced the cowl he wore off his head. And suddenly everything came to him.

"A robot…? EUSTOMA!" He called out.

"Hai!" He responded, sending another windblast towards the last attacker.

"These are robots! Automatons! Whoever is doing this is controlling these things from somewhere else!"

"A robot?!" Having only taking his eyes off his target for a moment, he barely managed to see the gun aimed for his heart, and quickly thrust his palms forward. Five shots bounced off his hands with ease, who was very thankful he caught this.

"That's not all! Look at the way they attacked us! They purposefully let us notice them and made us lead them away from somewhere! Something more important to them than us!"

"What do you mean?!"

"I mean we're not their targets! They're not trying to kill us, they're trying to stall us! Their attacks aren't aggressive at all, in fact they're being careful to NOT hit us! They're just buying time, their real target is-"

"THE GIRLS!"

No further inquiry was needed, and the two Kings rushed away from the scene towards their houses. The remaining assassin seemed to recognize this immediately and bounded off after them, firing several non-aimed shots to distract them.

"Mah-bo! You take care of this guy and I'll go protect Rin-dono and the girls!"

"Wakarimashita!"

The robot assassin leaped at Forbesii, but found to his surprise that he was still running. It was Eustoma who had stopped to face the attacker, who gracefully fell right into his hand. The resulting magic blast tore the robot's head clean off and it's body skidded underneath his feet, who smiled proudly.

"Works every time," he said as he threw away the remaining bits of scrap metal in his hand.

Forbesii, having a head start over Eustoma, smashed down his own door the moment he walked into the room.

"Nerine!" He yelled out. No answer. "Nerine!"

Having fits of panic, he desperately searched for anything that would prove that Nerine was here, had been here, or had resisted a potential fight. He even ignored the phone that blared loudly throughout his house. He tore into Nerine's room, seeing her school bag placed on her chair with the most delicate touch that he had grown fond of.

"Nerine!" He yelled again. Still no answer, a father's worst nightmare coming true. On the way back outside, he threw open any door he could find, hoping that he would Nerine huddling in a corner scared, or better yet, nothing at all.

The phone continued to blare loudly, and he cursed its impeccable timing. When he was satisfied that no one was in here, he furiously stomped to the door. But a voice stopped him.

"Demon-sama! Demon-sama where are you?! Pick up the phone quick! It's an emergency! Please Demon-sama where are you?!"

The phone nearly split in half when he picked it up, "Forbesii here! What seems to be the…WHAT?!"

In a fashion similar to his friend, Eustoma smashed down his own door in search of his daughter.

"Sia-chan!" He yelled as he searched the dark house, "Sia-"

His voice stopped as he looked over to his neighbor's house, whose lights were still lit even at this time of night.

"_Please Rin-dono! Please be all right! Please let Sia-chan be with you and be all right!"_ Although he cared about Nerine and the others, his daughter always came first to him. He flew over the fence separating the two yards, and could not help but notice the open door and misplaced table. _"Onegai onegai onegai!"_

"SIA-CHAN!" He bellowed the moment he got to the glass door.

"DADDY??" She yelled back, jumping completely out of her chair. His grand entrance had not only scared her silly, but sent Rin and Nerine hurtling out of their chairs in fright, made Primula freeze her glass of tea out of pure instinct, and made both Itsuki, Mayumi, and Kaede fall to the ground.

But Eustoma, being himself, was overjoyed, "OH Sia-chan! I'm so glad to see you're all-"

He never made it to the table, as Sia leapt forward with a heavy metal chair and slammed it into his head repeatedly.

"DON'T YOU EVER! DO THAT! AGAIN!" She yelled with each blow. In the background, Nerine remained latched onto Rin's arm from fright, and both Itsuki and Mayumi fanned the quickly fading Kaede, who leaned against the kitchen counter with her hand to her head.

After a very furious beating, Sia stood over her battered father, her face red with anger and eyes welling with tears. He twitched involuntarily, and with trembling arms lifted himself off the ground. For good measure, she slammed the chair into his head one last time.

Blood pouring down his head, and feeling faint, he managed to make it to his feet and removed all traces of comedic value from his expression, "Th-There's no time Sia-chan! We have to leave now!"

"What? Why?!"

"Don't ask questions! You're in a lot of danger here, I'm going to take you somewhere safe!"

This was a side Sia had rarely seen of him, and one she had hoped she would never see. The chair in her hands dropped to the ground, and she stared at him with fright, "Daddy…what's wrong…what happened?"

"I'll explain later. Rin-chan. Rin-dono and the rest. Come with me, I'll send a valet to pick up your things later, I'll be damned if I'm going to let any one of you be hurt."

The group looked at each other nervously, indeed, this was something they had never seen from him.

"God-sama, is everything all right?" Rin asked.

"We're fine for now, just please do as I say and follow-"

"Eustoma…"

Only one person called him by that name, and only did so when there was something serious. Turning around, he saw Forbesii leaning against the open door, a stare more piercing and serious than anything Eustoma had ever seen before.

"Forbesii…what's wrong?"

"Follow me," he said, motioning for him to follow outside.

"Daddy…" Nerine whimpered, actually frightened of her father at the moment. He raised a hand out to her, not threateningly, but serious nonetheless.

"This is a private affair Nerine, we can't let you hear this."

They closed the door and immediately walked out of sight. The group of seven stared at each other, and they all knew what it was about. Rin silently volunteered to take any blame for the following actions, and, ignoring the quiet protests of the rest, snuck into the main hallway to listen. Their voices were faint, but what he could hear would set into motion the most terrifying and dangerous events Rin or the others had ever faced.

"I can't believe it…"

"Neither can I, but I got a report from five different officers, all of whom I'm very familiar with."

"But how is it possible?"

"I don't know…I just don't know…"

"Project Yggdrasil was…destroyed…"

--

**END CHAPTER**

--

I apologize for 1) Taking so long, and 2) Making it so long. I tried to think of ways to shorten it, but alas, I came up empty. Haven't decided whether I'm going to work on _Piglett_ story or _Elfen Lied: Neue Pfade_ at the moment, but when I do you will see it in my profile main page. As always, questions are acceptable, and comments and criticisms are appreciated.

EDIT: 7/11/08 I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT WORKING ON THIS STORY. CHAPTER 17 IS IN PROGRESS AS I WRITE THIS!


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Shuffle

Disclaimer: _Shuffle!_ and all canon characters therein are property of outside companies, and I claim no ownership over them.

NOTE 1: In the course of writing _Shuffle!Hope_ I am bound to make mistakes in grammar and especially in the story itself. Thereby, I implore all who read this to check my personal profile page for updates on _Shuffle!Hope_. It will give clear details on what chapters I'm updating and what in those chapters I am updating.

NOTE 2: I will maintain on my profile page, a daily schedule of the progress of my works. If you are interested in how far I am on a particular story, by all means please visit my profile page.

_Shuffle!Hope_

Dark vines and shadowy limbs carpeted the jungle around the barricaded stone temple that both King of the Gods and King of the demons named "Site Y." Inside the heavily guarded (both magically and manned) mosque, brilliant scientists and intricate computer networks worked diligently to unravel the secrets of life through Project Yggdrasil. Every night these chemists, physicists, mathematicians and even sorcerers worked long into the night to record every detail of the magic held within the chosen subjects, confident that no one outside of themselves could disturb them in their research

Tonight was like any other night.

The soldiers had nicknamed the door "Shugoshin", the Guardian Deity, for that was exactly what it was. A mixture of stone, steel and concrete, this architectural nightmare stood twenty meters high and ten meters across and was further entwined with magical runes that warded intruders and the occasional dragon. The runic shield made the door impenetrable by practically anything smaller than a nuclear warhead, and that was not the only function of the shield.

Private Tenmura Yoshida was the youngest, freshest blood that was personally assigned to this small fortification and because of that, drew the graveyard shift three to four days out of the week. But being an easy-going person, it did not bother him whatsoever. Getting the shit work came with the territory and was natural for someone with so little experience in the field he had chosen to be in.

This made him smile, and yawn. Although boring and long, it made for a very peaceful night for a soldier who discouraged himself from more exciting, adventurous endeavors. The only noise that came from the other side of the door were the occasional rat monkeys, blue chimera's and one or two mating wilsappers, which were basically frogs the size of a small dog. Creatures that, although he would not want to meet outside, had no chance of getting through this security system, not that it mattered if it did, considering the amount of soldiers that roamed the halls and the sheer amounts of technological and magical devices that guarded the miniature fortress.

It was a normal night, peaceful and serene.

Then, Shugoshin spoke.

It was the secondary defense of the door, one that alerted the guardsmen inside the great hallway that someone, or something, had just tried to open the door. It was simplistic in nature, so much in fact that it actually proved a burden at times and brought into consideration of lowering the sensitivity of the magic. Whenever someone tried to force or demolish the door, the runes shined a luminescent red, becoming so bright that an actual image of the runed doorway would project itself into the hallway, many times larger than the door itself. In addition to the holographic image, a loud banshee wail emanated from the entrance to the hall, loud enough to wake the heaviest sleeper, which abounded on this particular shift.

Yoshida, being five feet from the door, leaped a similar distance backwards the moment the screech pierced his eardrum and he was basked in a red and white glow. Several of his fellow soldiers and guards also jumped in surprise, some almost falling off the ledges and balconies they were patrolling at that particular moment.

And as quickly as the glow had appeared, it dispersed leaving a faint trail of light in its wake.

"_Just a bird,"_ Yoshida thought, _"Or a goblin."_ The nasty little creatures had a penchant for trying to dismantle and break open "da big rok", especially on the graveyard shift, but it always ends with a defeated moan and their short, stumpy figure slouching away from the door.

Yoshida heard a chuckle from behind him and he turned around to face his fellow guardsmen laughing and snickering. One of them leaned over the railing of the balcony and made a jeer at how cowardly he was. Yoshida yelled back at how he saw him nearly fall into the waters below. All in jest of course, the jokes and comments would continue for the next couple days until it was naught but a memory, and then a week or two later, a second fruitless attempt would be made and the laughter would continue.

But when the door clashed again with even more intensity than before, Yoshida began to wonder if this was not a bird.

As protocol dictated whenever signs of forced entry appeared, several soldiers of lower ranks bolted towards their nearest commanding officer, while Yoshida and the others took a defensive stance against the now-crackling magic shield.

Bright white and yellow lightning cascaded around the glowing runes and into its projected image. Once again however, the light blinked away and the loud mixture of crackling electricity and howling screams died down to a soft murmur until the only noise that could be heard from the hallway was the shallow breathing from the men that stood at the ready with their rifles. Yoshida, along with the others, did not drop their guard unlike the first time. There was something different about this potential intruder. Perhaps it was just paranoia, but it felt like the person or thing on the other side of the door was putting pressure on the shield. Maybe it was because the shield never cracked with lightning before, maybe it was because it had never held for so long before…

Or maybe it was because security never called them to confirm what was on the other side. So they held their positions, knowing in their gut that Shugoshin would speak again.

It did. But what followed sent a cold sweat down Yoshida's forehead.

The soldiers, guards, and sorcerers were taught that the magical shield gives off two colors. Red, the more common considering the outside wildlife, indicated a physical entry while the rarer green told the men on the other side of the doorway that something magical or supernatural tried to force or phase itself through the doorway. But never since its construction had the shield flashed a painful array of yellow and blue as it strained to counter the force on the other side. Nor had the projection ever bubbled and curved outwards, grasping and clawing at Yoshida as if it were asking, begging Yoshida to help it. Each and every second the room crackled and hissed at the purple and white lightning that threatened to burn all the soldiers to a crisp.

Then, in one deafening, glass-shattering explosion, the magic shield burst into thousands of tiny, glowing fragments that turned to sparkling dust the moment after it shattered.

Silence.

Being the closest to the shield, it was naturally assumed that it was Yoshida's duty to investigate and his superior officers made sure he knew that. He did not want to, but he knew it was his responsibility as a soldier as he slowly advanced on the door, uncertain of what awaited on the other side or its stability. The door, its runes fractured and broken, still stood large and intimidating to Yoshida, more so knowing that it was not the great guardian of Project Y's secrets anymore.

It was cold, freezing almost to the touch. Whatever had destroyed the shield had took away the life from Shugoshin, its corpse completely broken. However…a noise. It was faint, distant, and unclear. Yoshida listened hard; hoping that what he was hearing was what he thought it was. It was! Shugoshin lived! Its heart was beating, fast and strong, ready to awaken with life at any…

Yoshida bolted. He ran as fast as he could to escape what was coming. Shugoshin, as much as he wanted to think it was not, was still an inanimate object. It had to heart, no soul, anything that made it a living being. No…that "heart" he heard beating had no desire to awaken life to anything, it was a heart of destruction. But before he could warn anyone else, the explosion slammed him to the ground and sent a tidal wave of dust barreling towards him.

Shugoshin had not merely been destroyed, it had been obliterated, completely and efficiently. Luckily, the larger chunks of obsidian had missed all the soldiers, though a few had lodged themselves mere inches away from the balconies where several soldiers stood. Even Yoshida, the one closest to the blast, was far enough away from the concussion of the blast to merely bruise his legs and face. In fact, the door had absorbed most of the impact from the bomb and that was why Yoshida was unharmed, he thought at any rate. Then again, he could have been suffering from a mild concussion and was not thinking straight. Though, when he slowly began to pick himself up off the ground, he knew something was wrong. There was someone else on the ground floor with him.

Through the thick cloud of gray stood a man that seemed to be as tall as the pillar of debris. Dressed in black from head to toe, the man surveyed the area around him and Yoshida noticed the large, bubble-like helmet that encompassed his entire head and more. The visor of the helmet was clear enough to give the young soldier a view of the man's cold, unwavering eyes. Looking right at him.

The wall of dust parted for the man as he made his way towards Yoshida. Aside from his grand entrance and ominous figure, there was nothing else that labeled this man as dangerous. No visible weapons, no flaring magic, nothing.

So why did Yoshida find it hard to breathe in his presence?

A crippling fear glued him to his position to the ground. The shouts from behind him from his fellow soldiers were muffled and distant. The only noises he could hear was his own breath slowly entering and exiting his body, his own heart beating with intense pressure, and the man's slow, thunderous footsteps that echoed in rhythm to his pounding heart. But all he could see, all he could feel, was the man's eyes boring into his.

The man slowly raised his right arm in an arching motion behind him.

A gunshot sprayed a small stream of blood from the man's knee.

And Yoshida could hear again. He could see again. He could feel again.

It was only a moment as he listened to twenty or more soldiers yelling in unison at the intruder to stand down, surrender, or drop to his knees. The man's gaze examined the area where the bullet had come from, and Yoshida briefly followed his eyes, noticing his best friend, Kagurazaki, glued to the intruder with his rifle. Then he noticed the dart in the intruder's hand.

Now he had to make a choice. Follow protocol and give the intruder a chance to surrender, or kill him then and their. The assault rifle was there, he could do so with ease. But doing so could cost him more than just his job. He could be charged with aggravated assault, even murder. And although it was obvious he had caused the explosion somehow, he had still done nothing technically wrong.

And with every fiber of his being, Yoshida knew he had to kill this man.

Screaming in blind fury and fear, he used all of his strength to raise the gun and pull the trigger. His arm buckled and straightened with each deafening roar of the rifle, his shoulder jerking painfully with every recoil. Each bullet ripped a small hole into the thick leather armor and tore through the man's flesh smoother than butter. With every passing fraction of a second the man tumbled backwards as blood sprayed out his back and oozed out his front. And after an eternity of automatic fire, the man fell to the ground, blood all around him, a crack in the visor of his helmet.

Exhilaration, adrenaline, power. A goofy, eerie smile was plastered over Yoshida's face. He had only ever fired the gun in practice, but it never had made him feel…more alive than what he had now. The ball quickly filled with the excited cheers of soldiers and guardsmen who had wished they could have done what Yoshida had done. The older soldiers quietly holstered their weapons, somewhat disappointed they could not have part of the kill.

Yoshida hooted and hollered as he waved to his friends, reveling in the moment, the glory of the kill. Who he was and why he had been there were questions that could be answered at a later time. For now, he enjoyed the moment.

"I might sign up for a more dangerous position," he said to himself, "Have more 'once in a lifetime' moments." He chuckled, and the room went silent.

Deathly silent. Unnatural, unholy silence. Several of the guards hissed Yoshida's name, most of them just stared in awe, mouth's agape. At first, Yoshida thought he had done something wrong, or strangely enough, his pants might have fallen down. That is when he felt the presence of a violent, turbulent force behind him. He could hear the bones in his neck creak as he turned his head around to see what was behind him; he could feel his muscles straining in agony as if they knew what was already behind him. When he was completely turned around he looked up in horror as the man he had just riddled with bullets towered over him, unharmed and completely unfazed. The crack in the visor distorted his right eye, but he could tell by the left one that his mind was being bored from the inside by those same cold eyes. The man reached up and pushed the visor out of his face and blinked.

"You're right…" the man said apathetically, "Death, is, a once in a lifetime opportunity…"

Yoshida stepped backwards and attempted raised his gun to intimidate, scare, or at the least make the man hesitate. Then the man swung his arm downward, and the last thing Yoshida saw before his vision went dark was half of his rifle and a large amount of his blood fly far into the air.

And Kagurazaki's yell fell unto deaf ears.

Gunfire rang through the air and bullets sped across the room at lightning speed. The intruder had bent himself at the waist in a defensive position and swung his right arm wildly in front of him. Showers of sparks collided with the spray of his own blood as bullets collided with an invisible force and ran through his body. Yet he pressed on, uncaring of the bullets he could not deflect and unhurt of the ones that did. Every so often he would fall to his knee if he was hit in a vital area, but would immediately get back up and press forward, flailing his arm wildly in front of him as the force deflected bullet after bullet.

"Why isn't he dead?!" a soldier yelled from the balcony.

"We're not hitting him!"

"YES, we are! I saw some go through his-" the soldier flew backwards and slammed against the wall behind him. Several men ran to him to see why he clawed at his chest, only to see the hilt of a small dagger lodged deep in the right side of his chest. He gasped and begged for air while he looked at his friends with panic.

More men were launched to the rear of the balconies, daggers buried in random parts of their body. But for each guardsmen downed two more came to take their fallen comrade's place. Their injuries and deaths only further fueled their rage and they fired with increased accuracy.

Yet the man continued.

A trail of blood followed the intruder as he advanced on the doorway, showing no signs of weariness or exhaustion. He only hesitated when the doorway to the main laboratory opened and a dozen soldiers ran forward and dropped to their knees.

"Defensive positions!" The captain yelled and his men opened fire. The intruder's body buckled and shook with violent spasms as the new squad of soldiers created more shrapnel's of metal than he could deflect. And again he fell to his knees. There was no denying the dark red droplets dripping off of his body onto the floor, the gunfire was hitting him.

"Hold your fire!" The captain ordered, "Hold your fire!" The intruder had been wounded deeply, and the captain was proud of that. There was nothing that could not be handled with several hundred rounds of machine gun fire. If he was not dead, he was close to death.

But slowly, the running waterfalls of blood began to slow to a drizzle, then a dripping, until finally his blood stopped exiting his body. Only the men on the ground floor could see what was happening in front of them, the soldiers on higher floors completely unaware of what was transpiring on the ground below.

"Is that it?" The man in black asked coldly, "Are you done?"

Much to the surprise to the soldiers on the second floor, the intruder pushed himself onto his feet with ease, no signs of struggling or ache in his movements. When he stood fully erected, he raised his head in unison with the rest of his body and rotated his shoulder.

He leaned on the right side of his body and reached over to grab his extended arm. The leather crumpled under the pressure. "That's good. Because I am on a time schedule." And in one horrifying movement, forced his arm backward with so much force that the bone from his arm tore through his skin, again, not showing a sign of pain or regret.

The captain looked closer on the bone that protruded from the man's arm. It was oddly shaped and colored, for a bone at any rate. There were no curves or protrusions to it; no shape that indicated it was a bone at all. Straight, narrow, and black as the night sky, it actually looked like the hilt of a sword.

"What…" the captain gasped out, "What kind of monster are you…?"

Portions of flesh and blood flew from the back of his shoulder as he ripped the single-edged sword from his shoulder and arm. Its blade was as long as his arm was and the metal was tainted with a deep red hue. For a moment his left arm remained motionless, until a forceful cracking sound breathed life back into his arm and his fist grasped at air. Transferring the blood-soaked sword to that hand, his right one also grasped at something high above his head and he bent at his waist, facing the guards on his level. The sword in his left hand dripped with blood, and whatever was in his right also gleamed of the red liquid. The intruder's eyes met the captain's.

"Here I come."

The man bolted towards the captain's position, faster than any man should ever be. Scattered gunfire showed the soldier's fear and panic at the outburst of speed. No bullets touched him, and within seconds he was on top of the squadron of men.

His right hand thrust forward and in an instant, three men, staggered behind one another, were run through by an invisible force. A soldier rushed forward to smash his face with the butt of the rifle, but he swung his body around, yanking whatever was in those men out and swinging his left arm backwards to split the rifle in two, and slashing a huge gash in the soldier's chest.

Too afraid to fire in fear of hitting their comrades, too proud to run away, soldiers stood in awe as the man gracefully spun between them, blocking melee blows with his left hand weapon, and spilling blood with his right. Men backpedaled in hopes of escaping the reach of his sword, but whatever he held in his right hand stopped them in their tracks, falling into pools of their own blood. Finally there was enough room to fire their weapons, but like before, they proved useless. The bullets only served as a nuisance to the intruder as shards of leather and blood were flung in the air as the sword in his left hand cut off the barrel of the rifle and once again he wounded more soldiers with his right.

He was the only man left, the only one not keeled over in pain or bleeding slowly from deep lacerations. Dumbstruck. Terrified. Cowardly. No plans of action came into the captain's mind, no idea of how to destroy this killing machine, and certainly no way of how to escape this battle alive. Their eyes met. He was unable to read the intruder. Was he planning on killing him? Or did he no longer perceive him as a threat? Rather, which one would he despise more?

His questions were answered as a cold, wet metal rubbed against his cheek. Whatever was in the man's right hand was extended at him and he meant it to cause much harm to him. He could not see what it was, only the red droplets of blood that lingered on this invisible object. How far away was this man? Five feet? Six? What could he possibly be holding?

The intruder brought his arm across him and he twisted his wrist. Decapitation was his goal, he did not want this man to escape alive. Being a God, the captain did not know who to turn to, who to answer his prayer?

Nonetheless, it got through.

A crashing explosion rocked the hallway and both the captain and intruder spun to face the metal armor that stood adjacent the door to the laboratory. It had swung its giant axe into the ground right before the door, blocking any attempt of entering. At that same moment, the giant on the other side of the door also screeched to life as it clashed its' twin concrete swords together in anger.

"The security system has kicked in!" A soldier scream.

"We're saved!"

The intruder snapped his head towards the captain, who was grinning from ear to ear. If by some chance, an intruder had gotten to this point of the great hallway, the twin sentinels guarding the doorway would come alive with magical fury and would attempt to destroy any unauthorized person from accessing the door to the laboratory. Even this man could not possibly stand to battle both the fifteen-foot sentinels and the remaining company of soldiers that awaited him.

And still, the intruder was completely calm.

"What are you going to do now?" The arrogant captain asked.

The slamming footsteps grew louder as the sentinels drew nearer to their position. The captain knew they would not attack him, and even if by chance they did, they would focus on the man in black first.

The man took a deep breath.

And he screamed.

"LU-CI-ENNNNNNN!"

Amongst the ground-shaking stomping of the sentinels, the only thing talked about from the soldiers was…

"What's a lucien?"

A scream of pain rocked the great hall, and another. More scattered gunfire lit up a darkened hall that intersected the great hallway. And from the darkness, a man barreled through the air.

The soldier hit two of the guardsmen as he flew towards them, knocking one to the ground and the other over the balcony with him to the floor below. Three men were left standing as they gazed motionless into the dark alley, only to see a pair of tiny red lights bobbing in the darkness. Then they screamed.

"WHAT IS THAT?!"

A shadowy figure burst from the darkness and howled at his prey. It was humanoid in shape but not in style. Elongated fingers curved to sharpened nails, and his face was blanketed by the shadow of his hair, the only light given off was the gleam of its red eyes and the glistening of its dagger-sharp teeth.

One of the guards threw his gun in the air in fright and he was the first one in the creature's grasp. Its teeth bore down into his shoulder and he lifted him off the ground, shaking him like a rag doll. When it finally let go it hurled him at another man who still held his weapon and they collided in a wind-shattering "Oof!" The last man cursed at the thing and raised his weapon at its face that hissed a warning to him.

Two more soldiers came out of the darkness and yelled at it, which set off a chain reaction by making the guard on the balcony turn his head, then the creature attacked.

From a slouched stance it leapt at the two new guardsmen, several feet above their heads. Two swift kicks bounced the men off of the archway leading into the dark hall, and they stumbled forward in a daze. They were immediately stopped when the thing grabbed the back of their uniforms and slammed them together, and without hesitation it slid between them the moment they separated and slammed its hands and feet into their mid-section. And as one final display of power, it gripped them both by the collar and leapt into the air, spinning. At the peak of its jump it let go of the soldiers and they flew off in opposite directions. The only soldier remaining just stared.

The creature turned its attention on him and out of instinct he pulled the trigger, bullets bounced off the ground around the creature and it skittered forward and upwards, bringing its metal teeth around the barrel of the rifle and biting down. Although it did not break it completely, the barrel had bent upwards from the force of its bite and several splintering shards shone through its teeth. A few muffled blows sent the soldier screaming over the edge of the balcony.

Confusion was rampant in the great hall. In addition to the thundering footsteps of the sentinels, the room was rife with gunfire, shouting, and the ear-piercing scream of something otherworldly. Bullets sped every which way, no one knew who or what to shoot at. The immortal monster on the ground floor or the violent, rampaging one that leapt from balcony to balcony, throwing soldiers over the edge or taking large chunks out of them with its teeth.

Another booming "LUCIEN!" forced the creature to turn its head, the men left on the balcony saw a devious smile purse its lips. And like the rifles they carried, it sprinted off like a shot. The soldiers could see the bones in its shoulder snap into an awkward position, hunching its shoulders and bending at the waist. Using both its feet and knuckles to thrust itself forward, it ran like an ape to the ledge of the balcony and launched itself into the air. Floating for what seemed like an eternity in mid-air, it slammed into the sword-wielding sentinel with a metal-crunching slam, causing the magical construct to lurch forward. Having no concern for its own safety, the creature began mercilessly beating on the construct with its fists, creating huge dents and cracks in the armor. There was no significant damage, and it only seemed to be attacking the sheeted metal out of the pure thrill of it. Heavy gears ground against one another as the sentinel raised its opposite arm into the air and flattened the blade. The creature on its shoulder only noticed the huge sword at the last minute and, instead of leaping away, jumped towards the falling arm and wrapped itself around its wrist. The moment the sword slammed into the sentinel's own shoulder the creature spun itself around the giant hand, and scurried like a frantic feline across its elbow and up towards the opposite shoulder, and there is where it saw its opportunity. A large gap between the metal of its neck and shoulder blade, just large enough for it to slip in there and wasted no time in doing so.

If ever a magical robot could be confused, this one was such. Aware of an enemy in its presence but unaware of where this enemy was exactly. Then it twitched. And again. Then a violent spasm slammed its left fist into the wall and dangerous magical lightning ripped a gash from its head downward. And then it fell silent for the last time. The glowing gems placed in its eye sockets faded into blackened rocks and the swords it wielded fell to the ground in a crashing heap of ruble.

The destroyed sentinel's head flew off its body and the creature's legs receded into the giant's metal body. The first to escape the hole where its head used to be was a large robotic device, most likely a key component to its ability to move and fight. Next was the creature itself, several wires, most likely another key factor in the sentinel's disability, were gripped tightly in its jaws. It surveyed the area only for a moment until bullets bounced off the lifeless metal around the creature's head, and in a threatening hiss lifted itself out of the dead body and bounded off toward those that meant it harm.

The initial intruder ducked underneath a swing of the remaining sentinel's giant hand, and swung his invisible weapon at its legs. A shower of sparks erupted just below the knee of the construct, and it collapsed under its own weight. Whilst it struggled to push itself back onto its feet, the man swung his right hand again and sliced at the joints holding the right knee together. It fell forward, sending a wall of dust upwards. Although it still breathed, there was no way it could stand on its own two feet, though it tried nobly.

The intruder looked at the struggling giant, unconcerned about the state of its well being. A brisk turn of the heel and he moved quickly towards the giant ax that blocked his pathway into the inner recesses of the laboratory. The sentinel had done its job well, the axe was so well placed that there was no way around it. He extended his right hand out towards the axe and a distinct clanking sound could be heard against the axe. The clank turned into a scraping noise as he drew his arm away from the axe, finally snapping his arm into an upright position as he pressed his hand against an invisible surface.

"Your blade is dull, you've worked hard tonight…" he whispered. Another snap of the elbow and he extended his arm outward, yelling, "LUCIEN!"

The rifle fire had died down greatly since the moment the first intruder stepped foot in here. In fact, the shouts of the soldiers overpowered their rifles. There were so little left and so spread thin, the shadowy creature wasted no time to leap next to its master's side. The man pointed at the giant axe and the creature hissed, scurrying quickly to the oversized weapon and grasping the hilt at the base of the head.

A turbulent howl escaped the gut of the creature as it pushed upwards on the axe. It grew even louder as it pushed with even more force, the tiles under its feet cracking ever so slightly, but it looked as if the weapon would not budge.

Slowly, however, it did. The axe was inching its way out of the ground, lodged deep as it was. As it would be, the creature was pushing itself into the ground but it was succeeding in fulfilling its master's request. With one final, glass shattering scream it forced the axe out of the ground and sent it crashing to the floor. Now, nothing stood in the duo's way.

"You expect to get in that easily…?" The wounded captain gasped out, as he lied helpless on his side. The taller intruder stopped in the middle of the axe's blade, but did not look at the man like his smaller, hunched companion did. "This room is on a separate security program from the rest of the compound…" he groaned when he attempted to lift himself up, "You won't be able to even open the first door without security's permission…"

There was a long pause, and from his position on the ground, he could clearly see an evil smile on the hunched creature's face. Then the man spoke.

"We know…" with an eerie motion he turned his head to look at the captain, "We…ALL know…"

Meanwhile, in another section of the laboratory a far distance from the fight in the hallway, several guardsmen pounded on a large, metal door, shouting at the top of their lungs to be let in.

Inside, a large man wearing a white lab coat, white gloves, and a dark green gas mask worked tirelessly at a large console. His lab coat was decorated with light blue fabric bands that encompassed his wrist, arms, and was as flexible as the rest of his clothing. The light and characters from the screen reflected in the dark green lenses of the mask the man wore. Air hissed from the large metal filter that protruded half a foot from his face with each breath he exhumed.

"OPEN UP THIS! INSTANT!"

In the flash of an eye, characters began disappearing from the computer screen. Pages of codes, programming and data were being wiped in seconds, only to be replaced with new screens of information that would be immediately deleted. Except for one tiny detail.

The man in the lab coat slid a small memory card from a slot in a nearby access panel. Unscrewing his filter, he slipped the small memory card into the neck of the filter and began screwing back in.

The noises from the other side of the door continued, although it never overpowered the screaming of the soldiers. Smooth, steady breathing hissed through the filter of his mask as he slowly turned his head towards the doorway.

"THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING! OPEN…!"

The door to the room slid open.

"Up?"

A small explosion rocked the hallway and sent a billowy fog of white rumbling through the hallways. The soldier's initial yelp of shock was immediately replaced by their screams of anguish.

"MY EYES!"

"I CAN'T…BREATHE!"

Coughing and gagging soon replaced their screams until they had lost consciousness and fell to the floor with a loud thud. They grasped out for their dropped weapons and the white lab coat that flashed in their fading field of vision. And the man in the coat and mask walked past them casually.

The thick fog of noxious fumes emptied into a second, larger hallway that was devoid of any life. Soon afterwards, however, the man in white tromped out of the smaller hallway, wisps of the fumes dragged along his swaying coat and he reached behind his back and clasped his hands together. Several adjacent hallways later and the man in white ran into the man in black.

"Sir," addressed the man in white.

"Doctor," the leather-clad man replied. Side by side they briskly walked down the large hallway, until the doctor spoke up.

"Where is Lucien sir?"

On cue, a soldier burst through a door, mere feet in front of them and slammed into the far wall. Following him was the creature, Lucien, walking on its feet and knuckles, who acknowledged both his master and the doctor. The unnamed man stepped over the unconscious soldier, his eyes focused forward.

"Must you walk like that?" The doctor asked Lucien, who snarled at him. Cracking the bones in its shoulders, it straightened its spine enough to lift its hands off of the ground, however, still maintaining the hunched stance. The doctor felt the need to reply again, "Did you forget how to go the rest of the way?"

"Bite your tongue human!" Lucien's voice was harsh and low, and blended with its violent growl made his frightening visage even more terrifying. But the doctor did not even blink.

"Enough," the man in black said sternly, "The job is only half done. Lucien, round up the scientists." With a growl, Lucien sped off down the hallway and into another corridor, "Doctor, come with me."

The doctor nodded and the two walked side by side to a large metal door that towered over them. While the doctor stared upwards at the monstrosity, the man in black bee-lined for a standard panel of the metal panels that surrounded the door. A quick sleight of hand removed a well-hidden section of the panel, revealing a panel that contained multiple keys of Demonic, Divine, and Japanese characters and writing. Instead of punching the keys in, however, the man stretched his hand towards the doctor and snapped his fingers. Continuing to look up at the door, the doctor walked over and placed a small device into the man's hand. Without thanks, the man pulled a wire from the device and plugged it into an insert in the panel. On a display panel above the keypad, several words began to form themselves without cause until five words of all three languages displayed themselves on the panel.

A flashing light appeared over the doorway far above the two men, and the sound of gears grinding echoed in their ears. Slowly the door opened itself to them to show the men what was inside. When the door had opened itself more than halfway, the men were greeted with the brilliant flash of concentrated magic.

The man in white immediately jumped out of the way, but the leather-clad man held his ground. Faster than the magic had appeared in front of them, his arm went to his wrist and snapped it forward. The magical blast hit him head on, or so it seemed. In actuality, the lighting-fast movement wielded him a sword that impacted the magical blast in his place. The red bolt of magic turned a bright hue of white that reflected the color of the sword. A hiss of magic and a puff of steam and the bolt had dispersed into nothingness. All that remained was a sword whose glow was slowly fading, at the wispy fumes of magic that once was.

On the far side of the exposed room stood three men, decked in white lab coats and squared hats. Their faces were frozen in terror.

"How…How did you…what…?" One of their eyes gazed upon the sword, whose glow had long faded. Its blade was dull and riddled with divots and cracks. Rust lined the back of the blade and its general appearance was a sword that had long been passed its usefulness. Until one of the sorcerers recognized it.

"Musabori-Maho…" he whispered. The other sorcerers looked at him, then back at the man, "It can't be…"

"The Magic Devourer…" the leather-clad man stated clear and loudly, and brought the blade underneath his eyes. The man's eyes met the sorcerers'.

"You…you will not destroy what we've worked so hard to accomplish!" One of the sorcerers yelled. The other two brought their mana to the tips of their fingertips alongside their colleague, and readied another blast of magic.

By this time, the doctor had leapt to his feet and threw his arms towards the sorcerers. There was a blight flash of reflected light and a small explosion, and the three sorcerers were engulfed in a thick, jagged block of ice. The doctor turned his head towards his superior, who's gaze remained focused on the far end of the room. Although he never acknowledged him, the man strode forward, and the doctor followed in his footsteps.

"Is she connected to any life support systems?" He asked as he sheathed Musabori.

"Just an oxygen mask, but she can breathe normally once she is out of the suspended fluid," the doctor replied as his eyes transfixed on the flashing laboratory equipment in front of him.

"Time until extraction?"

"Four, maybe three minutes. Does Lucien know he is not supposed to kill the scientists?"

"Maybe. Do we have time to demolish this equipment?"

"Not much, but it shouldn't matter. I was able to purge the mainframe of all data about the Yggdrasil Project. Whatever remains is fractured and jumbled and will take them months, even years to piece together."

"Good…"

The leather-clad man strapped Musabori-Maho to his back and grasped a second sword, the one he wielded in the great hallway minutes earlier. Unsheathing its blade, he pointed the tip at the Fourth Project.

She was young, not nearly as young as Primula, but younger than Nerine. Her hair was long and shone of a violet hue and hung listlessly in the fluid, wrapping around to her front enough to cover her bare breasts. Her body was thin yet healthy, and she looked very peaceful in the amniotic liquid.

"She looks a lot like her…" the man in black stated. The doctor, who had situated himself at a nearby computer, stopped for a brief moment. Neither of them looked at the other. "Do you not think so?"

The doctor never answered, instead continuing on to his work. The leather-clad man walked up to the Fourth Project and with a quick slash of his wrist, sliced at the container the Project was held in.

--

The King of the God and Demon Realm stood next to each other, as they viewed the broken glass that was strewn across the floor in front of them. Forbesii had his hand across his mouth, to hide the surprise and shock that was expressed on it, while Eustoma wandered around the laboratory with his hands at his waist, obviously upset by the turn of events.

"What are the damages…?" Forbesii asked to a man who had hidden himself in the background.

"W-Well…" the man stuttered, not wanting to bring the King's wrath upon him, "The damage to the security camera system was extensive, but what will take a big chunk of the budget is Shugoshin and the two Sentinels. We estimate the cost of rebuilding Shugoshin with addition to the extensive runic symbols will run around fifty-six million yen, and the sentinel whose internal core was disassembled will cost…"

"I'm not talking about the damn constructs! There were ambulances and Evac helicopters outside! What did they do to the men?!"

The advisor jumped, and began tearing through the leaflets he held in his hand, "Oh! Um, sorry Your Highness! Well um, let's see here…it's in here some-Oh here it is!" He coughed nervously as he reviewed the figures, "Well…five men have bled to death from deep lacerations, and a sixth was pierced in the heart by four-inch dagger, the only thing we could recover of the intruders." Both Forbesii and Eustoma bowed their heads deeply and ran their hands over their eyes, "Fifty men were seriously injured from lacerations, broken bones, multiple puncture wounds, airborne poisons…and four men were encased in ice, so hypothermia. Thirteen other soldiers were injured."

"And the scientists…?" Eustoma asked.

"Ano, they only suffered minor injuries, but a psychoanalytic drug was administered to them so they are completely incomprehensible. It will be a couple weeks before they will say anything that makes a bit of sense."

Forbesii turned to the broken cylinder, and the dangling oxygen mask that swayed back and forth, "What about Fuyu-chan…the fourth project?"

The advisor remained silent for a few moments, until the King's turned to him. Biting down on his upper lip, he reluctantly forced out the report, "Missing…Your Highness'…several soldiers who were still conscious saw the three of them escape with the Project. She seemed unharmed, but was unconscious."

This only angered the King's further, though they knew better than to take it out on the advisor. Finally, Forbesii spoke, "This…all this…just to get at Yggdrasil."

"Do you think this was planned from the beginning? Nerine? Sia and Kaede? Us?" Eustoma asked as he picked up a wet piece of glass.

"I'm beginning to…" Forbesii replied, "Although…I would still like to have brought Rin and the girls with us. I'd feel more comfortable knowing they were safe."

Eustoma sighed, "They all expressed interest in finishing out school. There was no idea how long we were going to be away from the human world, and with only a few months to graduation, it would be terrible of us to force them to give up on this opportunity. Still…"

"I know Shin-chan…I know…"

The two Kings took off from the laboratory and down the unusually clean hallway, the advisor trailing them like a lost puppy.

"But what I want to know his…" Eustoma said, the frustration in his voice rising, "How did THREE men manage to infiltrate this compound (much less how they FOUND it), wipe out an entire platoon of guardsmen and sorcerers, erase all of the data of Yggdrasil Project, then abscond with an entire person into thin air?!"

"Well, um, Your Highness…" the advisor stuttered, "These men…weren't normal…"

"Explain," Forbesii demanded.

"Well, I…I wish I could. But the testimonials are so jumbled and screwed up, I don't know what's true and what's a delusion."

"Give us as much as you can."

"Well…as you know, there were three men…" the King's rolled their eyes, unnoticed by the advisor.

--

"What?!" Sia yelled at the police officer, "What do you mean he wasn't arrested?!"

The young, mahogany-haired girl was backed by all of her friends, who had visited the police station. A few days ago, a day after her and Nerine's father had left for the other realms, the young lady had came to this same police station to report a possible assault. However…

"I'm…I'm sorry Miss…" the shocked police officer said, "But we took your teacher into company as a possible suspect, but there was no evidence leading against him, his DNA didn't match anything in our files…"

"No evidence?!" Sia yelled, "What about the scars on his face and arm from where I burned him?!"

"I am going to have to ask you to settle down," the officer replied, becoming a little more stern with Sia. Nerine had walked up to the venting Goddess and placed her hand on her shoulder. It was not enough to comfort the Goddess, but I was enough to calm her down. The officer continued, "When we took him into questioning, he had no scars. Not to mention…" the shifted eyes told Sia and the rest that he was about to tell them something he should not, "We have two eyewitness accounts that he was elsewhere that night. One of which was a student of his, a one Hamada-ooops!"

That was definitely more information than he was authorized to give out. Whether it was the cascade of beauties around him that made him talkative or that he was into gossip, he had spilled more than he was supposed to. Mayumi's eyes widened with the prospect of a good scoop, and Sia's brow furrowed with aggravation.

Then a voice disturbed the scene.

"Pardon me young miss…but are you referring to Anthony Rochester?"

The group turned their heads in unison, and as one the girls were immediately taken aback. The man who had addressed Sia was tall and handsome, with long, gray hair that reached to the middle of his back, and a gentle smile that made them, especially the girls, feel safe…and warm.

"H-Hai…?" Sia responded as a slight blush came to her face.

The man's smile grew, and he bowed in front of her, "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Lucien Von Wolfsbane, an associate of Anthony-sensei. I am…how should I put it, his alibi for that night." Sia nodded, as did the rest of the girls, "While I admit that Anthony is a bit anti-social and, at times, crude, I can assure you that he is no murderer." Lucien chuckled, and gave the group a reassuring smile, "He can't even bring himself to harm his dissections, he has to have them pithed outside of his lab before he can examine them."

"Okay…" Sia said lustily, a tone that Rin immediately took note too.

"Ano…" Nerine butted in. Although her face was not as red as Sia, she still had an aura that infatuated itself around Lucien, "Wolfsbane-san, I heard Anthony-sensei speak Demonic the other day, and, if I may be so forward, he is quite rude to…"

Lucien laughed and waved a hand in front of him, "Of course of course! Anthony-sensei is a genius, as you know, a prodigy as a child growing up in the human realm. When the Kaimon Gate was opened, he was one of the volunteers from Oxford to travel through the Gate to learn more about the Realm's that lay outside of his own. In about a year's time, he had already mastered our language, and, if I'm not mistaken, is learning Divine as well. I'm surprised to hear that he has been rather cold towards you, but please be at peace, as I'm sure he means you no harm."

The blush on Nerine's face grew, and she backed off into the group with a small smile on her lips. Right now, the only ones who were not blushing and giggling were the two men, who were rather disgusted by the entire situation.

"Oh-Okay…" Sia said lazily as she stared into his eyes. Rin responded with a shout.

"What?! Just like that?!"

The man bowed his head slightly again, and reached over to Sia and gently grasped her hand. Bringing it up to his face, he kissed it gently and let go of her hand, their fingers grasped until their fingertips brushed off one another, "I unfortunately must be going, I have important business to take car of. Please, young misses, do take care of yourself." With a nod, he turned on his heels and walked briskly out the door, the five pairs of eyes staring lustfully at him. Rin and Itsuki scowled and crossed their arms.

"The competition is getting tougher by the minute in this town…" Itsuki growled to Rin, low enough so no one else could hear it. Rin's scowl focused on Itsuki, and his knuckles collided with his face.

"C'mon everyone, let's go home," he said with a huff, as Itsuki swayed back and forth until he collapsed on the ground.

Several hundred yards away from the police station, the man who addressed himself as Lucien stared coldly at the entrance of the station. His eyes followed the group of giggling girls and their trailing male counterparts as they walked out of the doors and down an opposite road. When they were nearly out of side, he addressed the real Lucien.

"Keep an eye on them Lucien. The doctor will contact you when I need you."

"Yes master!" A violent yet ecstatic hiss escaped from the darkness behind him, and the sound of sprinting footsteps grew ever more quietly until silence prevailed over the town. In seconds, there was no trace of any living soul having stood there.

--

END CHAPTER

--

I guess I have a lot of explaining to do with my absence. I'm going to skip the boring parts and just tell you that life has been hectic, as I'm sure it has been for all of you. I promised I would not give up on this story, or **Elfen Lied: Neue Pfade **and I intend to keep that promise. Writing will slow down, I can't guarantee precise Chapter Update dates, but I will work hard to get them finished as soon as possible.

**ATTENTION ALL READERS!!**: It has come to my attention that people may find this particular chapter "tedious" and boring. Now I would like to point out that this is not a "bad" thing, it is a building thing on my part. In fact, I need you, the reader to tell me if you DID find this chapter difficult to get through, from lack of Canon Characters. I need to know this because a future chapter of _Shuffle!Hope_ will, at this point, only contain a very minimal number of Canon's for ONE CHAPTER! I need to know this ahead of time in case i need to make any necessary adjustments to that particular chapter. If you've already commented on this fanfic, just tell me if yo had problems with this chapter is all. Thank you for your time.

**NEXT CHAPTER:** While the King's struggle to put the pieces together, Nerine is about to find out something about herself that she may not like.


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